Who is Best Free Agency Fit for the Lakers?

The Lakers shocked fans and pundits alike by choosing D’Angelo Russell over NCAA champion Jahlil Okafor with the second pick in the draft. The look on Okafor’s face when the announcement was made was heartbreaking. We were told the past month how he dreamed of playing for the Lakers his whole life and wanted nothing more than to meet the challenge of becoming the next great Laker center. It was not to be, and as fans we must move on, welcome Russell, and hope he becomes the player the coach and general manager predict will be a future superstar. With Russell on board, the speculation began immediately on which free agents the Lakers would pursue starting in just a few days.

The team’s two biggest needs are at center and small forward. Right now there are no bona fide starters at either position. There is some speculation that Kobe Bryant might transition to small forward, which would put Russell and Jordan Clarkson on the court together as guards. Julius Randle will be given every opportunity to be the power forward, and if necessary he might be able to play the “3” as well. But who will play center? In explaining the rationale for choosing Russell over Okafor many speculated it was partly because there are many talented big men available in free agency this summer.

In terms of the possibilities, the names most prominently mentioned are DeMarcus Cousins (by means of a trade only), LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol, Kevin Love, and Greg Monroe. This is, indeed, a strong list of names. The Lakers would be fortunate to attract any of them, but the person chosen has to be able to mesh with the other personnel on the roster which means in particular they have to be a good fit with Randle. That might make the best choice less obvious.

The first thing to note is that Aldridge, Love, and Monroe are not centers, they are power forwards. Aldridge is the best all-around player of the group and is probably number one on the Laker’s wish list, though he will turn 30 this summer, which is a factor. Love is the best “stretch four” in the league, something the Lakers have long coveted. Monroe is talented, but less so than the others. But when you think about the current Lakers’ roster, unless Randle is traded or they try him at small forward or coming off the bench, the team needs a true center. Aldridge reportedly does not want to play center. Love could not possible play center. Monroe would give it a try but his skill set is not ideal. Thus, these are three great players but none is ideal for the Lakers as presented constructed.

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That leaves Gasol, Cousins, and Jordan. These are true centers, and any of them would be a great fit for the Lakers. However, reports are it would take a miracle for Gasol to ever leave Memphis, and he too is 30 which is not ideal for this young Lakers’ squad. As for Cousins, who is only 24, as the recent negotiations revealed, Sacramento does not have to trade him and if it did happen they would demand Clarkson, Randle, and Russell in return (all the Lakers’ current assets), which is far too steep a price to pay. It would leave the team with no talent around him, which would pretty much take the franchise back to square one. In addition, many believe – and I am one of them – that Cousins is a malcontent, an underachiever, and not at all a leader. In short, while he is very talented, most fans do not have a high opinion of Cousins and don’t want to see him as the face of the Lakers’ franchise.

That leaves Jordan. Until recently everyone assumed he would return to the Clippers and would not seriously consider other opportunities. However, when the season ended for the Clippers, reports surfaced of a rift between him and Chris Paul. The rift appears to be real, and Jordan’s representatives have announced that he will be interviewing with at least four teams when the free agency period ends, one of whom is the Lakers. Plus, can the Clippers really afford to pay three max players in Jordan, Paul and Blake Griffin?

All factors considered, and putting his atrocious free throw shooting aside, Jordan may be the ideal solution for the Lakers if they intend to stay with Randle at power forward. They will need a rebounder, a defender, and a rim protector, and Jordan is one of the best at those skills. He is not a prolific scorer but is still an effective post player on offense who can score at the rim and he shoots a high percentage. He is still only 26 which makes him a veteran but one who could continue to grow with the Lakers’ strong core of young players.

A starting line up next season consisting of Jordan at center, Randle at power forward, Bryant at small forward, Clarkson at shooting guard, and Russell at point guard, is a vast improvement over what the team looked like the past two seasons. With reserves like Tarik Black, Jabari Brown, and maybe Ed Davis, plus the other two rookies the team just drafted, the Lakers would also have the makings of a strong bench.

By all indications the team will make a big pitch for Aldridge, and certainly it would be exciting were he to join the Lakers. He averaged nearly 24 points per game on 47% shooting, made 85% of his free throws, and grabbed more than 10 rebounds per contest. But if the key component is fit with the current roster, assuming Gasol is unavailable, Jordan would make the most sense.

Of course, the competition for everyone on the this wish list will be fierce. As an interesting side note, the next few weeks will measure the current strength of the Lakers’ brand after two disastrous seasons and the death of Dr. Buss. Is it is still strong enough to compete with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers for top free agents, and come out on top? The next month will provide an answer to that important question.

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