After Carmelo, What is Lakers’ Plan B?
By Jacob Rude
Unrestricted Free Agents
The wide open pool of players, the Lakers have put out feelers to just about every free agent imaginable, and rightfully so considering the state of their roster. The list of names is a who’s who of free agents: Stephenson, Luol Deng, Trevor Ariza, Caron Butler, Steve Blake, among others.
The most likely of that crew is Stephenson, who is at an impasse with the Pacers. Their 5-year, $44 million offer was not good enough for his liking, as he expected something in the neighborhood of $10-11 million. With the Lakers in search of someone to take the scoring load off Bryant. If Melo is a no-go, I expect the Lakers to go hard after Stephenson.
Ariza and Deng are both players who are nearing the backend of their careers, but are looking for one final pay day. Surprisingly, the two are seeking similar deals. With that in mind, Deng would be a bigger option than Ariza. Deng would be able to take the defensive load off Bryant, but he has a lot of mileage on his legs and could begin to break down soon.
Butler and Blake are veterans who have expressed interest in coming to LA, but under the right circumstances. Butler would likely instantly join if he saw the Lakers as contenders, which is unlikely without Melo. However, he has a great relationship with Bryant and seems eager to return to L.A. Blake, on the other hand, could be a real option considering how much he enjoyed his time in L.A. and his relationship with Bryant.
Likely signings: Stephenson, Butler