The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the busiest franchises this offseason, the team now has just one more spot available on the roster. Some of the big names that the Lakers have brought into the team include Pelicans big-man Anthony Davis, Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins and champion of the Toronto Raptors, Danny Green.
There’s now plenty of debate about what the Lakers should do with the final spot of the roster. We’ve decided to put forward three potential options that the franchise should consider chasing after for the final spot.
1. Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver is certainly a possible option for the Lakers to sign, the 38-year-old has plenty of history with LeBron James and a reunion of the two might be in the cards. Korver was waived by the Phoenix Suns on the 8th of July after being part of a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, landing there after a dramatic swap that had Mike Conley heading to the Utah Jazz.
The 38-year-old has always been known for his shooting and many are wondering why he hasn’t been picked up by the Lakers yet. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton believes that the franchise may value flexibility more than adding another shooter to the roster, this would keep an open spot for the buyout market later in the 2019-20 season.
I can't speak to his thinking but the Lakers may want to keep a roster spot open for the buyout market.https://t.co/Cz9WyYfuec
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) July 18, 2019
The Lakers have loaded up on shooters already this offseason such as Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley, Quinn Cook and Troy Daniels. This lessens the value of a player like Korver since he isn’t adding much more to the roster.
Korver may have been a lock for the Lakers to sign if he was waived a bit earlier, however, his position in the league is now uncertain, the veteran may have missed his chance to reunite with LeBron.
2. Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala is now a part of the Memphis Grizzlies as his time with the Golden State Warriors have come to an end. However, most NBA franchises are aware that the slower and steadier rebuild in Memphis is just not suited for the 35-year-old.
The Lakers are a potential franchise who could step in here and make a trade for the new member of the Grizzles. According to Marc Stein, the asking price is reportedly a future first-round pick and that the Grizzlies will enter the season with Iguodala if no franchise is willing to offer it up.
There is some belief within league circles that the Grizzlies are prepared to take Andre Iguodala into the season unless they receive a trade offer featuring a future first-round pick
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 12, 2019
The Lakers have already given up a lot this offseason, mainly through the Anthony Davis trade. However, the talents of the 2015 Finals MVP are something that could help out the franchise a lot and may be a crucial part of the team come postseason. LeBron James knows just how strong the former Warrior is as a defender, Iguodala was Golden State’s preferred matchup for LeBron over the four Finals appearances against the Cavaliers.
As a contender for the championship this season, there’s a lot of sense in adding Iguodala to the roster, the only real concern is if they’re willing to give up another future first-round pick. It may be a sacrifice worth making to help the franchise achieve greatness in this upcoming season.
3. Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers since the middle of the 2018-19 NBA season. When the Lakers struggled with injury, Carmelo seemed like a potential solution to the franchise’s troubles. The franchise is on a much better track now after the inclusions they’ve been able to bring in this offseason, this now puts Carmelo Anthony in an interesting position.
The friendship between Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James is something that must be considered with this potential move. Anthony has struggled to find any solid form over the recent seasons which is cause for concern. Teamed up with LeBron James in a new environment may not be the complete solution but it could be something that helps the star find some of his form.
If Anthony was to be picked up by the Lakers with their final spot on the roster, the 35-year-old would have to sacrifice his ego and pride and realize that he won’t be there spending a lot of time on the court. The experience of the star may be a valuable asset for the franchise if they do make the postseason as expected.
One of these three options may be what the Lakers ultimately decide to choose, if not, the franchise may choose to leave it open and work with what they have so far.
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