2. The Newly-Signed Journeymen Veterans
The Lakers had two main targets going into free agency: Paul George, who quickly announced he was returning to Oklahoma City, and James, who of course committed to LA
After that, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka rapidly concluded that there weren’t any other free agents worth signing long-term. So instead they gobbled up five veterans to one-year contracts.
This strategy certainly has merit. Most significantly, the Lakers retained tremendous flexibility under the salary cap to pursue an elite free agent or two next summer. But the actual players they signed also indicate that the team is not expecting to challenge for the title this season.
Those players provide some depth, particularly on the defensive end, but 4 of the 5 one-year free agents are NBA journeymen and malcontents:
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope– KCP is the exception. He had a solid year for the Lakers last season, averaging 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and playing excellent defense. His numbers were even stronger after the all-star break once he ironed-out some personal problems. He is also an occasionally hot long-distance shooter who shot 38% on 3’s last year.
• Lance Stephenson– Game-to-game, he is consistently one of the least consistent players in the NBA. He has bounced around the league, playing for 6 different teams the past 4 seasons. The past 2 years he averaged less than 9 PPG while shooting about 43% overall and under 30% from deep. He also has a reputation for being a disruptive presence.
• JaVale McGee– He’s one of the most athletic 7-footers in the game, but he’s never reached what seemed to be his potential. Now age 30, he’s become a part-time player who averaged less than 12 minutes a game the past 4 years. At Golden State, Steve Kerr played him sporadically, especially in the playoffs, where he appeared in only 13 of the Warriors’ 21 games. And he’s played for 5 different teams in his 10 NBA seasons.
• Rajon Rondo– After 8+ mostly solid years at Boston, he too has become somewhat of an NBA vagabond, playing for 5 different teams the last 4 years. He has often been among the league’s leaders in assists and he is supposed to have a high basketball IQ. But his lifetime 3-point percentage is just 31%. Although that tracked upward to the mid-30’s for 3 seasons, it dropped again last year to 33%. He is no longer the premier defender he was 6-10 years ago. And he has a history of squabbling with opponents, coaches and teammates.
• Michael Beasley– He is a classic under-achiever since being selected as the 2nd pick of the 2008 draft. In 10 NBA seasons, he has played for Miami twice and for 5 other teams. Over the last 7 years, he has not averaged more than 23 minutes a game. He is an excellent scorer, averaging 12.7 PPG (19.5 per 36 minutes). But he’s not a good rebounder for his 6-9 size, and has never been much of a passer, preferring to look for his own shot above all else. His best role is coming off the bench to put points on the board quickly.
At best, it is a curious, uninspiring group of players. Only Rondo has ever made an All-Star team, but not in the last 5 years. Each of them is probably looking to impress this year in hope of signing a multi-year contract next summer.
For the Lakers, they are essentially “place-holders”, filling spots on a roster for a team that was among the league’s youngest a year ago, and that Magic thinks needs veteran presences.
Johnson has said that back in his day, practicing against teammate Michael Cooper toughened him up and made him a more effective player. He is hoping that these veterans might have a similar impact on Ingram, Kuzma, Ball, Hart, Ivica Zubac along with rookies Mo Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk.
It’s extremely unlikely that all of these journeymen vets will be re-signed next year. It’s even conceivable that none of them will return.
Most of the players in this group are unreliable and inconsistent (KCP is again the exception). Each should contribute something this season. But they are NOT the type of supporting cast upon which a title contender is built.