Lakers News: Insider Pinpoints Free Agent Reserve Guard As Mid-Level Target For LA

Will LA pursue the defensive guard?

Every NBA team needs guys who aren’t star players but those who can enter into a game and give the team a good few minutes. Or the guys who normally don’t play but you feel confident in when they finally are given the chance. Just look at the Denver Nuggets and how they built their team. It helped them capture a championship and the Lakers should look to fill out their roster with players like this for next season.

Los Angeles made the Western Conference Finals but lacked solid bench depth throughout and it was exposed against Denver. Lakers insider Jovan Buha listed some players that he believed the Lakers would have interest in this summer. Among those players was Suns forward Josh Okogie.

Now, Okogie isn’t a name that jumps off the page but he would be a quality add to this Lakers squad. He played in 72 games for Phoenix and averaged 7.3 points, 3,5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He also shot a career-high 33.5 percent from three this past season as well. He was solid in his minutes that the Suns gave him and could provide the Lakers with some added punch off the bench, even in limited time.

On Josh Okogie’s offensive rebounding, downhill physicality, violent blocks and 3 highlight plays that sum up how he’s become an C-factor for the Suns: https://t.co/9ylNEYRLFw pic.twitter.com/DRR2RkOIQH

— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) December 28, 2022

Okogie is known for being a solid defender on the wing, something that the Lakers lacked last season. He is versatile and has the ability to take on bigger guards than himself as he sits at just six-foot-three. Los Angeles needed someone to be the energy guy off the bench and Okogie could fit that role to a tee.

The 24-year-old saw some action during the Suns playoff run, including him pouring in 11 points in their close out victory in the first round over the Los Angeles Clippers. He went 4-7 from the field in 33 minutes. Phoenix obviously trusted him enough to let him play an extended period of time and he showed some of what he could do.

Luckily for the Lakers, they could probably net his services cheap. Okogie was on a minimum deal with the Suns last season and realistically, he may not get more than that from a team. Buha mentioned him as a possibility for the mid-level exception but that may even be stretching it.

The Lakers could do a lot worse this offseason than Okogie and the young guard would give them an upgrade around the edges of the team. Don’t be surprised to hear his name more as the summer goes on and maybe he will wind up wearing the purple and gold next season.

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