With Avery Bradley opting not to join his team to Orlando, the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to bring in a replacement.
Among a field of names, league veteran and sharpshooter J.R. Smith has emerged as one of the most likely candidates, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Free agent guard JR Smith has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Avery Bradley on the Lakers roster, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2020
Last we saw J.R. he was struggling to stay in the rotation in Cleveland, averaging just 6.7 points and 1.9 assists on 34% shooting. He was also just a few months removed from his infamous blunder in Game 1 of the 2018 Finals.
He has yet to receive another opportunity since — probably due to his questionable basketball IQ, streaky shooting, and age (34 years old). Now, though, things might be changing for the NBA champ.
With L.A. in need of guard depth, Smith is one of the best options available thanks to his long-distance shooting and history with LeBron James. No doubt, if the Lakers want to maximize their chances to win, they need all the weapons they can get.
While J.R. is no star, he’ll helo the team in more ways than one. And, at this point, why not give him another chance?
