The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has already made a good amount of free agency signings. Many would consider the team one of the winners of the offseason thus far, and there are some signings that they can make on the veteran minimum that will further improve their chances of winning a championship.
There are definitely a number of talented players that are still on the free agency market as of right now. There are two players that can swing the championship odds in their favor, and there are reasons for both to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on the veteran minimum to rebuild their value, as clearly, they have not been offered bigger deals thus far.
Christian Wood and Kelly Oubre Jr. are still free agents, and they could both be of use to the Los Angeles Lakers. In this article, we will discuss why the Los Angeles Lakers should convince both to sign with the team on veteran minimum contracts and how their skills could help the Lakers along in their pursuit of another championship.
Kelly Oubre Jr. Can Provide Two-Way Play And Score Off The Bench
The first player that the Los Angeles Lakers should target in free agency should be Kelly Oubre Jr., who last played for the Charlotte Hornets. He is a forward that can play multiple positions, and he can play a number of roles for the team, whether it is as a starter or off the bench.
Last season, Kelly Oubre Jr. averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.1 APG for the Charlotte Hornets, albeit slightly inefficiently, averaging 43.1% from the field and 31.9% from the 3PT range. Perhaps his efficiency can improve with a smaller role coming off the bench as the team's sixth man, and he can even be in some closing lineups due to his perimeter defense. His athleticism and length mean that he can guard a variety of players, which is a valuable quality when it comes to the playoffs.
Having a player like Kelly Oubre Jr. would take some defensive pressure off of LeBron James, and he and Rui Hachimura can take on the most difficult defensive assignments on the team. The key, of course, is finding the right role for him: he would have to improve his shot selection and be willing to buy into playing a two-way role while being off-ball frequently. We have seen two-way wings such as Andrew Wiggins get paid well, and there is an incentive for Kelly Oubre Jr. to accept such a role on the Los Angeles Lakers. In the right role, Kelly Oubre Jr. would become a favorite of Darvin Ham's, and there is no question that he would be a good acquisition for the Los Angeles Lakers.
