Lakers News: Top 3 New Orleans Free Agents For Los Angeles
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As your Los Angeles Lakers strive to complete a blowout of the New Orleans Pelicans (who are currently on an 11-4 run and have cut what was once a 36-point Laker lead down to 13 as of this writing) on the road at Smoothie King Center tonight, let's take a look at some of their free agent prospects this summer, via Spotrac.
1. Josh Richardson
The two-way swingman, an unrestricted free agent this summer, would be a worthy addition for the right price, but the way Malik Beasley is shooting the three-ball would necessitate J-Rich either be a bench player or start at small forward, with LeBron James moving back to power forward and Jarred Vanderbilt moving to a reserve role. So for the right price, he's worth a shot.
Richardson's current deal pays him $12.2 million this season. He's not worth quite that, as he's mostly become a bench player with a play-in tournament-caliber (i.e. mediocre) club after starting for the San Antonio Spurs. He's averaging 9.9 points on .417/.341/.789 shooting splits, 2.6 rebounds, a whopping 2.6 steals, 2.0 assists and 0.8 blocks a night in 26.7 minutes per. Due to a general dearth of talented young perimeter players around the league, however, Richardson will not be lacking for suitors, so a team interested in his services would most likely need an overpay, if anything.
2. Naji Marshall
Speaking of solid reserve wing options, the 25-year-old Marshall is on a $1.4 million team option this summer. Marshall is a good defender off the Pelicans' bench and a solid slasher on offense, but his lack of shooting may make him a much cheaper free agent option, should the Pelicans relinquish him. I think New Orleans will keep him around because he has upside and the price is right, but for something like a bi-annual exception he could be worthy of consideration.
In his third NBA season, the 6'7" small forward out of Xavier is averaging 9.5 points on .432/.313/.788 shooting splits this season, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6.
3. Jaxson Hayes
Starting second-year wing Herbert Jones, for whom the Pelicans also carry a cheap team option ($1.8 million) next season, would be No. 1 on my list if he had any actual shot of reaching free agency. But there's no way the Pelicans let a guy (who's already starting, by the way) this good, this young, and this cheap walk. Jones is an excellent, versatile defender.
Former 2019 lottery pick Jaxson Hayes, meanwhile, has been arrested for domestic violence. Though the 6'11" center out of the University of Texas at Austin has shown some (limited) talent on the hardwood, LA absolutely should not touch him with a 10-foot pole.
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