The Los Angeles Lakers just cut Troy Daniels, and are looking for the final piece to add to their championship roster. With just over 20 games left in the season, adding the right player right now will give enough time for him to get acclimated to the Lakers system.
While playoff rotations usually get thinner by the round, it never hurts to add another quality piece to the roster who can either produce on the floor or be important in the locker room.
Here are the top five candidates for the Lakers’ final roster spot.
J.R. Smith
12.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.1 APG, 37.3% 3P FG
LeBron’s former teammate, Smith was a very important piece in the legendary Cavaliers run that took down the 73-9 Warriors team. Since then, he began building his reputation as a bit of a knucklehead after one of the biggest Finals blunders in NBA history.
While many ripped on him for that, Smith is still a valuable role player at his age. He can get hot from the perimeter and be an ice-cold three-point shooter and has developed into a very good perimeter defender as well.
If Smith tries out for the Lakers and shows his overall game, he might have a chance to atone for his past mistakes and help the Lakers win a championship.
Allen Crabbe
9.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 38.7% 3P FG
Crabbe was recently cut after failing to make any sort of impact since signing an albatross of a contract. It is a bit unfair to judge Crabbe off the money he was paid since he has only one above-average skill which is a three-point shooting.
Still, his deadeye marksmanship will come in great handy in replacing the newly-cut Troy Daniels, but Crabbe also adds a bigger body to defend the perimeter and the paint as well.
Overall, the Lakers should consider Crabbe to replace Daniels if they want to replace the latter shooting but adding more size.
Dion Waiters
13.2 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 34.8% 3P FG
Rumor has it that the Lakers want Dion Waiters, and this could go either way. Waiters have an innate ability to create his own shot, something rare from a role player, and also get very hot from the perimeter.
When Waiters gets going, he will not shy away from taking big shots with the game on the line. His confidence in himself can be crucial to a championship contender, and adding another big shot taker will do wonders for LeBron James.
But Waiters has also been problematic in the locker room recently, something that won’t fly with the Lakers upper management. If Waiters can keep it under control, he might have the best shot at winning a title with the Lakers this year.
Iman Shumpert
7.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 33.8% 3P FG
Shumpert had a decent spell with the Rockets last year, thanks to his ability to defend the perimeter and also make the three. But his stint with the Rockets didn’t last through this season since he was relatively inconsistent from the perimeter and the Rockets had better perimeter defenders on the squad.
Still, for the Lakers, adding Shumpert on a final roster spot can do more good than harm. Shumpert is very experienced, and can still be motivated to play solid defense. If the Lakers need a guy to shake it up during the game, Shumpert is the guy to consider.
Jamal Crawford
14.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 34.8% 3P FG
Last but not least, Jamal Crawford is still a free agent for some obscure reason. Crawford, despite entering his final year or two in the league, can still light it up from the perimeter. While he won’t add much to defensive resistance on the court, his ability to create his own shot and also make threes can make him valuable in the Lakers system.
Crawford will have plenty of opportunities to spot up for threes, create his own shot when LeBron and AD are resting, and provide veteran leadership in the locker room. Crawford has been one of the league’s most entertaining players since he entered the league, and he is one of the veterans who deserve to be an NBA champion.
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