LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 11: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives the ball against Goran Dragic #7 of the Miami Heat during the third quarter in Game Six of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on October 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, 5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers’ season is slowly going down the drain. At the All-Star break, they are four games below .500 and sitting at the ninth seed in the Western Conference.
Things haven’t exactly gone to plan, and despite being involved in a plethora of rumors, Rob Pelinka decided to stand pat at the trade deadline this season.
Now, the last hope for external improvement this season is the buyout market and general free agency. Luckily for the Lakers, there are a few players out there who could actually help.
If and when they ended up dipping into the free agency pool, which five players should be at the top of the Lakers’ board? Who would make the biggest impact?
5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Goran Dragic
Russell Westbrook hasn’t been great this year, but what’s been even worse is the depth they have coming off the bench. Adding a proven veteran like Goran Dragic would help.
Dragic has barely played this year, but with how much interest is being expressed in him around the league, it’s clear that most teams believe he could still make an impact on a contending team.
In fact, Los Angeles was one of the teams rumored to be taking an interest in the veteran guard. The only question is, is the interest mutual between Dragic and the Lakers?
If it is, then he’d be a great piece for them to add to their bench. His extra scoring would give them another reliable source of points in the lineup.
Los Angeles</a> Lakers’ season is slowly going down the drain. At the All-Star break, they are four games below .500 and sitting at the ninth seed in the Western Conference.</p>
<p>Things haven’t exactly gone to plan, and despite being involved in a plethora of rumors, Rob Pelinka decided to stand pat at the trade deadline this season.</p>
<p>Now, the last hope for external improvement this season is the buyout market and general free agency. Luckily for the Lakers, there are a few players out there who could actually help.</p>
<p>If and when they ended up dipping into the free agency pool, which five players should be at the top of the Lakers’ board? Who would make the biggest impact?</p>
<h2>5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Goran Dragic</h2>
<p>Russell Westbrook hasn’t been great this year, but what’s been even worse is the depth they have coming off the bench. Adding a proven veteran like Goran Dragic would help.</p>
<p>Dragic has barely played this year, but with how much interest is being expressed in him around the league, it’s clear that most teams believe he could still make an impact on a contending team.</p>
<p>In fact, Los Angeles was <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"https://www.si.com/nba/lakers/news/lakers-expected-to-be-heavily-in-on-goran-dragic-once-he-is-bought-out-bas2121" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the teams rumored to be taking an interest</a> in the veteran guard. The only question is, is the interest mutual between Dragic and the Lakers?</p>
<p>If it is, then he’d be a great piece for them to add to their bench. His extra scoring would give them another reliable source of points in the lineup.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Players 2 and 3 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-339782 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1504,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1069633286.jpeg" alt="5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season" width="3200" height="1504" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1069633286.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1069633286-768x361.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">SAN ANTONIO, TX – DECEMBER 7: Michael Beasley #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with head coach Luke Walton during game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on December 7 , 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Gary Harris</h2>
<p>Gary Harris has not been bought out yet by the Orlando Magic, but it’s believed that he could be. If that’s the case, then the Lakers should definitely be interested.</p>
<p>The 27-year-old guard has been having his best season in years this year, lighting it up from behind the three-point line and bringing it on both ends of the floor.</p>
<p>If Harris were to join the Lakers, he would give them a serious boost on both ends of the floor. His shooting would give them an extra floor spacer, and he’d also be another perimeter defender that could help on that side of the floor.</p>
<p>Harris makes a lot of money, so the Magic may just choose to keep him around, but if they end up buying him out, the Lakers should call him up immediately.</p>
<h2>5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Michael Beasley</h2>
<p>Sadly enough, this wouldn’t be the craziest thing to happen to the Lakers this season. Los Angeles should be so desperate to improve this year that taking a chance on Michael Beasley could be worth it.</p>
<p>Beasley hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018-19 season with, ironically enough, the Lakers. While he didn’t shoot well that year, he shot almost 40 percent from deep in the 2017-18 season.</p>
<p>It’s been rumored that Michael Beasley has been eyeing an NBA contract, and he himself has even been campaigning to get back into the league via Twitter.</p>
<p>Who knows if Beasley is even close to the same player he was a long time ago, but what do the Lakers have to lose? Worst case, they waive him, but best case, he ends up being a solid scorer off the bench.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Players 4 and 5 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-442223 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1070852226.jpeg" alt="5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1070852226.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1070852226-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 08: Tyreke Evans #12 of the Indiana Pacers is seen before the game against the Sacramento Kings at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on December 8, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Greg Monroe</h2>
<p>Greg Monroe is far from a starting-caliber big man in the NBA, but that’s not what he’d have to be for the Lakers. He’d just have to be better than DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard.</p>
<p>Based on how this current season has gone, that might not be too hard to do. Monroe has bounced around from team to team on various 10-day contracts this season.</p>
<p>He’s shot around 50 percent from the field on every team he’s been on, and at the very least, he would provide the Lakers with a big body to throw around on defense.</p>
<p>Jordan is a candidate to be bought out, and while Howard isn’t horrendous, he’s been a shell of his former, 2020 self this season. Monroe could provide them with another center option.</p>
<h2>5 free agents to help save the Los Angeles Lakers season: Tyreke Evans</h2>
<p>This one falls under the Micahel Beasley category of signing. Tyreke Evans isn’t anywhere close to the player he once was, but again, what do the Lakers have to lose?</p>
<p>The NBA just reinstated Evans after he was banned from the league for two years for violating the NBA anti-drug program. Now he’s back, and teams could look to take a chance on him.</p>
<p>Evans didn’t shoot super well from the field in his final year in the league before being banned, but if the Lakers could even get some sort of floor-spacing out of him it would be a win.</p>
<p>Just like with Monroe, the Lakers don’t need Evans to be a huge difference-maker. But if he can outplay even one player on their bench, it could be worth it. (And that probably isn’t very hard to do.)</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="3 potential buyout targets for the Los Angeles Lakers" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/14/buyout-targets-los-angeles-lakers/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/21/free-agents-los-angeles-lakers/"https://hoopshabit.com/2022/02/14/buyout-targets-los-angeles-lakers/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> 3 potential buyout targets for the Los Angeles Lakers </a> </div>
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