Kyle Terada-USA TODAY SportsĪnother center whose stock has risen dramatically the past few months is Bismack Biyombo of the Toronto Raptors, who has played five years in the NBA but is still only 23.
#Who is the lakers trying to get ib free agency free
Ezeli is a restricted free agent, but there is speculation that for financial reasons the Warriors might let him go if the Lakers throw big money at him. But there are those who believe that Ezeli could be a monster, especially on defense, if he got more playing time and managed to stay healthy. He does not shoot much but makes a high percentage of his attempts.Įzeli has never been an NBA starter and is much more of a question mark than Whiteside and Horford. Still, he averaged 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. He played in only 46 games this year due to injuries, and when he played he averaged only 16 minutes a game. Ezeli will turn 27 at the start of next season, and he has not seen significant minutes with the Warriors. One center who has repeatedly been linked to the Lakers this offseason is Festus Ezeli of the Golden State Warriors. If they miss out on Whiteside, the Lakers would no doubt be pleased to end up with Horford as a consolation prize. There are reasons to believe that Whiteside may be interested in the Lakers, but there have been no rumors connecting Horford to the purple and gold. Given the upside potential of Whiteside and the fact he is three years younger than Horford, he should be Lakers’ number one target. He averaged 15.2 points a game on 50 percent shooting this past season, though his rebounds dipped to 7.3 per contest, well below his career average of 8.9. While not as spectacular as Whiteside, he is solid and consistent on both ends of the court. Horford just turned 30, which is not ideal for the young Lakers, but he is talented. Whether he is interested at all in the Lakers is unknown, but again, the Lakers will definitely be interested in him especially if they are spurned by Whiteside. Horford is also an unrestricted free agent, and many believe he is going to be playing for another team next season. The Lakers second choice is Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. Still, Whiteside will be 27 next season, and unless he implodes off the court, he is likely to get even better and is seemingly a perfect complement to forwards Randle and Ingram. The knock against Whiteside is his erratic personality which has led some to question his influence in the locker room. He was also among the leaders in rebounds (11.7) and has improved dramatically on offense where he made a high percentage of his shots (60%) while averaging 14.2 points per game. He led the league by a wide margin in blocked shots (3.7 per game), and that doesn’t include the countless attempts he altered in the paint. Whiteside has quickly developed into a spectacular defender. Whether they can pry him away from Pat Riley and the Miami Heat this summer remains to be seen, but all signs suggest that they are going to try. The team passed on Whiteside when he was available two years ago, which proved to be another embarrassing misstep by the front office. The team’s number one target in free agency is likely to be unrestricted free agent Hassan Whiteside. Thus, the hole will have to be filled in free agency or by trade. The Lakers might choose a center with their high second round pick in the draft, but it is unlikely that any such rookie would be ready to start in the short term. The situation at center, however, is still very much up in the air. That will leave the Lakers with four likely starters, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson in the backcourt, and Julius Randle and Ingram as the forwards. While there are no certainties, Ingram has all the makings of a future star, someone who will more than meet the team’s needs at the “3” position for years to come. Nearly every projection has the Lakers taking Duke’s Brandon Ingram with the second overall pick in the NBA Draft later this month. At all costs, these needs must be met before next season begins. Likewise, last year’s starter at center, Roy Hibbert, is a free agent who is not likely to return. With Kobe Bryant’s retirement, there is no viable option at the small forward position. Going into this NBA offseason, the Los Angeles Lakers have at least two major holes to fill on their roster for next year.
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