Ranking The Lakers' Top 5 Buyout Market Free Agent Options
Your Los Angeles Lakers have had a quiet 2024 -- from a transactional standpoint, at least.
After the Gabe Vincent summer signing proved to be something of a snakebitten bust (at least so far), LA general manager/team president Rob Pelinka pivoted with the buyout market signing of hometown hero Spencer Dinwiddie, with the hopes that he'd provide a bit of the point-of-attack defense and supplemental bench ball handling that had been missing in the absence of Vincent.
Dinwiddie has yet to find his footing with the Lakers.
Los Angeles currently has all 15 of its standard roster spots occupied, but with so many players out due to longterm injuries, might it behoove the Pelinka and his front office to look for another buyout new addition?
Maybe.
Here are five possible fits, in what admittedly is a pretty shallow remaining buyout market:
1. Joe Harris
Harris was once the best three-point shooting role player in the league. Injuries have made him a far less reliable resource than the 6'6" once was at his peak.
2. Danuel House
House was a key defender on those peak James Harden-era Houston Rockets squads of the 2010s, but he's on the wrong side of the aging curve as he nears his 31st birthday.
3. Robin Lopez
LA could just use some healthy bodies in its frontcourt behind starters LeBron James, Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis. Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt remain out with longterm ailments, and the North Hollywood native could at least provide the Lakers with a big body until they recuperate, but he wouldn't actually supersede any currently LA big men in a fully healthy rotation (yes, maybe not even Jaxson Hayes, who at least still has some athletic upside). He'd be more of a temporary addition, but he's not worth the trouble of waiving someone else.
4. Furkan Korkmaz
The longtime Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard has seen better days, having seen his production slashed in each of the past three seasons. This year, he appeared in 35 contests for Philly, averaging a scant 2.5 points on .395/.350/.700 shooting splits, 0.9 rebounds and 0.7 dimes. His three-point shooting is the only reason he could be worth a look for a shooting-challenged Lakers roster. Korkmaz is a career 35.6% shooter from distance, on a solid 3.5 attempts per.
5. Danny Green
This would be a nostalgic addition for old times' sake, as Green offers very little present-day value. A three-time NBA champ as a starter, most recently with the 2019-20 Lakers, Green could provide some locker room leadership and perhaps a little 3-and-D help on the floor, but if he's actually playing major minutes on a title hopeful at this stage of his career, something has gone horribly wrong, from a health perspective.
Players like Charlotte Hornets stretch four Davis Bertans and combo guard Seth Curry would both be worth a look for Los Angeles, but neither has been bought out of their deals as of this writing.
