The Lakers were officially granted their disabled player exception for Julius Randle on Monday evening, according Marc Stein.
Lakers, I'm told, have been granted a Disabled Player Exception after losing Julius Randle for the season worth nearly $1.5 million
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 11, 2014
Lakers will have until March 10 to use the exception to either sign a player or claim one off waivers in the $1.5 million range
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 11, 2014
While they’re also expecting a disabled player exception from Steve Nash‘s injury, this one could give the Lakers a chance to take a look on a low-risk, high-reward player.
With the Lakers struggling at the small forward and point guard positions, there are a few players who are currently free agents that are worth a chance (in no specific order).
1. Quincy Miller
The most obvious answer considering he has been linked to the Lakers. Miller is most known for being the victim of this vicious crossover from Andre Iguodala last season.
Both the Lakers and Miller have a need for each other. For the Lakers, the Wesley Johnson experiment needs to end. After a very so-so season last year, Johnson was handed the small forward position without competition this year and he’s looked really bad. He continues to struggle shooting and can’t create for himself despite his elite athleticism. Defensively, where he was supposed to shine, he’s been lit up too many times.
Miller is a raw talent in need of development. He’d get instant playing time in Los Angeles even if he didn’t start considering there is no other natural small forward on the roster. He was buried among the deep depth chart of the Denver Nuggets in the past and could never break through for consistent minutes. In L.A., he would absolutely see more minutes.