May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Chris Copeland (14) celebrates scoring with small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers in game 5 of the second round of the 2013 NBA Playoffsat Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 85-75. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers are in dire need of improved bench production from last season as well as an upgrade in athleticism. With just the mini mid-level exception worth roughly $3 million to use, they’ll have to find a bargain player somewhere. Monday night, they began their search.
League source: The Jazz and Lakers are the first two teams to officially inquire about Chris Copeland. No talk of offers yet. #Knicks
— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) July 1, 2013
Copeland was a rookie for the Knicks last year and averaged 8.7 points on 47.9% field goal shooting, including 42.1% from downtown. Copeland split nearly equal time between small forward and power forward and could be a nice fit if the Lakers commit to an up-tempo offense.