The Lakers Road Back to Relevance Heavily Hinges on Free Agency

November 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots the basketball against Chicago Bulls forward Tony Snell (20) during the first quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Restricted Free Agents:

These players can only be secured by the Lakers if their team opts to not match the Lakers offer. This is typically a long shot, but there is a possibility that at least one of these two players will be let go by their current team, in favor of a bigger name free agent.

Harrison Barnes:

Fit: Perfect
Likelihood: Uncertain

Harrison Barnes may actually be the best fit with the Lakers of any player in free agency. An extremely athletic wing, Barnes also shot a respectable 40% from deep last year. An efficient scorer in general, the Warrior’s small forward is shooting nearly 50% from the field so far this season. Harrison Barnes is also a solid defender, who is versatile enough to guard multiple positions.

What makes Barnes even more exciting is his age. At only 23 years old Barnes fits perfectly with the young team the Lakers are building, and can be a long-term solution at a position of need. Moreover, Barnes is already a comparable player to Batum and DeRozan, with the potential to develop into much more.

November 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) shoots the basketball against Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott (3) during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately, the Warriors can match any offers for their young swing-man, which definitely complicates things. However, the Warriors may sign a big free agent, in which case they would be forced to let Barnes walk if the off was big enough. Additionally, the Warriors may be unwilling to pay Barnes max money at all, especially with Curry’s new contract looming.

Comically, the Lakers best-case scenario may consist of the Warriors securing a top-flight talent like Durant, thus allowing the Lakers to steal their budding star. If the Lakers are smart, they will offer Harrison Barnes the max and force the Warriors to choose whether to match.

Festus Ezeli:

Fit: Good
Likelihood: Fair

Festus Ezeli is a center for the same team as Harrison Barnes. Ezeli will only be an option for the Lakers if they strike out on Hibbert and Whiteside, but he would make a very nice consolation prize. A solid shot-blocker and athlete, Ezeli would be a nice addition for the Lakers. The Warriors will undoubtedly match on one of these restricted free agents, but Ezeli may be pried away with a large enough offer.

The Lakers have a chance to make progress in their rebuild this off-season, but they must be wary of falling into the trap of mediocrity that so many NBA teams have been caught in.

It would be wise for the Lakers to bide their time and build a solid foundation in this free-agency period, while allowing their young players to continue to develop.

For this to happen, the Lakers must realign their goals with reality and the future in mind. For the Lakers front office, learning from their past failures will be key in being able to find future success.

Next: Lakers Free Agent Acquisitions Proving to be Poor Decisions

Which players do you think the Lakers should focus on in free agency? Make your case in the comments.