All the optimism and excitement of the draft has passed and once again the Lakers find themselves in a free agency period where they can’t lure any players to come play for the purple and gold.
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The selection of D’Angelo Russell indicated that the Lakers felt they were going to sign a free agent big man, but it has not happened. While LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan have not made a decision yet, it would be shocking if either big man chose the Lakers.
The Lakers should have moved on to other free agents, but they still have not come to any agreement with any player. At this point, the Lakers might be looking to improve the roster through a trade. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Lakers could be looking to trade for David Lee if they miss on their top three targets:
If Lakers miss on their top three FA targets, they're more likely to pursue David Lee in a trade than revisit Boogie talks
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2015
It’s Day 2 of free agency and although most of the big names are off the board, the Lakers can still find some value. However, there has been no recent news regarding them chasing other free agents. Shelburne believes Mitch Kupchak will seek a trade for David Lee, the former All-Star who is capable of averaging a double-double.
Lee would be a good addition on the offensive end, but he’s not a very good defender, which was the main problem for the Lakers last season. A player like Robin Lopez would be a good addition, but the Lakers have not made any contact with the 7-footer.
While the addition of Lee would be a step in the right direction, Kupchak needs to look at other free agents and try to bring in some talent. You can’t give up after missing on the three targets you were looking for, there has to be a back-up plan in place. Lee also plays the same position as Julius Randle, just another reason while a trade for him does not make sense.