1. Cole Aldrich (Unrestricted)
If you were expecting to see Cole Aldrich on this list as the No. 1 player that the Lakers should be targeting as cheap free agent options, I think you’re lying. However, I firmly believe that Aldrich could be a fantastic hand to have on deck in Los Angeles moving forward as the 27-year-old center would be a great add to the rotation.
Overall last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, Aldrich was everything you’d want from a backup center. He played in 60 games and saw the floor for 13.3 minutes per in those contests while putting up 5.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game on efficient 59.6 percent shooting from the floor and—in an area that can’t be understated for centers—71.4 percent from the foul line. However, he really showed his value in Blake Griffin’s absence as he stepped up his game many times over that stretch and was valuable on both ends of the floor for the Clippers.
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The Lakers obviously are targeting the big names at center available in free agency that aren’t Dwight Howard (at least we hope not Dwight). However, they’re also going to need to fill out the rotation behind whoever they’re able to sign and Aldrich could be just the guy to slot into that role and on what figures to be a favorable deal for the Lakers.