The Los Angeles Lakers made the splashiest move during the 2021
NBA Draft, acquiring nine-time All-NBA player and modern-day
triple-double savant Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade. By
shipping out Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell
and the No. 22 overall pick to the Washington Wizards for
Westbrook, Los Angeles pushed its chips all-in on a new Hollywood
Big Three.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook will bring the
entertainment value on the court, but what about the actual
basketball fit? It's clunky, to say the least. None of James, Davis
or Westbrook are above-average three-point shooters. Cumulatively,
the Lakers' Big Three shot 31.3% from deep last season (LeBron at
36.5%, Westbrook at 31.5%, AD at 26.0%). For a team starving for
more floor spacing, adding Westbrook clogs the floor even
further.
The Lakers' roster currently looks like this before free agency
kicks off later this evening: James, Davis, Westbrook, Marc Gasol,
Alfonzo McKinnie, Talen Horton-Tucker (qualifying offer), Wesley
Matthews (cap hold).
With that said, the Lakers need to retool their roster around
the James, Davis, Westbrook Big 3 with sharpshooters. Lots of them.
Luckily for Los Angeles, there are plenty of veterans on the market
who will not only be intrigued by ring-chasing with a superstar
trio, but also a bigger role than other places due to little
three-point artillery.
Here are some perimeter-oriented players the Lakers may target
when teams can start negotiating with free agents on Monday at 6
p.m. ET.
JJ Redick
There may not be a better option for the Lakers than the OG
sharpshooter himself. At age 37, Redick is still draining shots
from beyond the arc with the best of them. The one thing that's
missing from Redick's resume is an NBA championship. Expected to
ring-chase with maybe his final contract upcoming, now is the time
for Redick to join a strong title contender. Enter Los Angeles, who
could potentially offer Redick a starting role alongside Westbrook
in the backcourt.
Carmelo Anthony
The most obvious fit on the list is LeBron's good friend, and
10-time NBA All-Star, Carmelo Anthony. For years, many have
speculated on Anthony eventually joining the Lakers. Now, this
offseason seems like the perfect time to make that happen. After
being out of the league back in 2018-19, Anthony has reinvented
himself, becoming a reliable three-point shooter. Over the past two
seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony drained 39.9% of
his three-point attempts. At age 37, Anthony has been yearning for
the opportunity to finally win his first ring. With the Lakers,
that dream could soon become reality. Anthony would be able to play
alongside James, Davis and Westbrook as a stretch-4, and could also
be a key cog in their second unit as well. Look for this marriage
to happen, especially if the interest is mutual.
Rudy Gay
Embracing a full-time bench role over his last two seasons with
the San Antonio Spurs, Gay is a great fit for what the Lakers need
to win another NBA championship. Gay is a three-level scorer, but
one who has improved his deep shot-making over the years. During
the 2020-21 campaign, Gay hit 38.1% of his three-pointers, which
could be a sign of that number potentially rising with easier
opportunities in LA. Gay's bucket-getting ability is a necessity
for teams looking to make deep playoff runs, and would be a welcome
addition to the Lakers' rotation immediately. Since he's also on
the back-end of his career and looking to win the ultimate prize,
Gay is another player to watch to take a veteran-minimum deal with
the Lakers.
Wayne Ellington
Ellington provides optimum floor-spacing acumen for a Lakers
team in desperate need of it. This past season with the Detroit
Pistons, Ellington converted on 42.2% of his three-pointers at a
high volume (six attempts per game). Turning 34 years old shortly
after the 2021-22 season begins, add Ellington to the ever-growing
list of veterans on the cheap that would make an instant impact for
Los Angeles. Like Redick, Ellington could even become a full-time
starter next to Westbrook in the Lakers' backcourt. If Redick signs
with the Brooklyn Nets, which has been a rumored destination,
Ellington is the next-best name on the free-agent market as an
obtainable veteran shooting guard.
[Editor's Note: The Lakers signed Ellington to a
one-year deal on Monday evening.]
James Ennis III
Since Ennis was playing with the lowly Orlando Magic last
season, many may have missed that he shot a career-high 43.3% on
three-pointers. Add in Ennis' versatility as a strong wing
defender, and he's one of my favorite targets on this list for Los
Angeles. Immediately, Ennis would step into the Lakers' rotation as
a key cog to their second unit. Although the three-point
efficiency jump was on
a low volume (2.5 attempts per game), there's no reason to believe
why Ennis couldn't repeat that performance with even more wide-open
looks coming his way. And to no surprise, Ennis qualifies as a
plus-age-30 veteran who could look to ring-chase for a veteran's
minimum.
Bryn Forbes
Although he fell out of favor in the Milwaukee Bucks' rotation
during their championship run, Forbes was a huge asset as one of
the NBA's best floor-spacing sharpshooters. With the Bucks last
season, Forbes shot 45.2% on 4.9 three-pointers per game.
Throughout his career, Forbes has been a 41.2% shooter from deep.
Just imagine the possibilities with Forbes running around the
three-point line while James and Westbrook set up endless
drive-and-kick opportunities. Forbes will likely
command anywhere between $4-7 million annually, and many immediate
contenders will be calling for his services. Would Forbes be
interested in joining the Lakers' rotation on their $5.9 million
mid-level exception? It's a call the Lakers should definitely make
once free-agency officially opens.
Patty Mills
A 12-year veteran who has proven to be a legit scorer off the
bench throughout his career, Mills is a very strong fit for the
Lakers as they search for guard depth behind Westbrook. Mills has
converted nearly 40% of his three-point opportunities (38.8%), and
there's reason to believe career-best numbers could be on the
horizon if he were to sign with Los Angeles. Not only would Mills
provide three-point shooting acumen, but could run an offense in a
pinch — plus create for himself around the basket. The Lakers
potentially having Mills and Caruso as their primary backup guards
off the bench would be a huge luxury with little cap-space
flexibility. Mills on a veteran-minimum deal is another one to
watch out for with a win-now veteran rotation player.