Los Angeles Lakers: Realistic tier 4 free agents to target
By Ethan Temkin
3. Kenneth Faried
In a league that’s trending towards the importance of the 3-point shot, and the phasing out of players, especially big men, who can accommodate that, players like Kenneth Faried are still proving they have a place in the league.
After being sent to basketball purgatory during his time on the Nuggets, and Nets, Faried has had a career revival on the Houston Rockets, providing solid backup minutes for Clint Capela and P.J. Tucker at the power forward and center positions.
Faried is a tenacious rebounder and is still athletic enough to be a reliable lob threat as well. He’s also a great energy guy, who brings a contagious amount of effort whenever he’s on the court, which is something the Lakers were severely lacking in this season.
Athletic rim-runners/rebounders and spot-up shooters are two of the best kinds of players to surround LeBron James with, and Faried fits the former to a T.
In addition, Faried won’t command a large contract in the offseason, somewhere between another veteran’s minimum and the MLE is the most a team will probably offer. Thich means the Lakers can add an impact player and preserve a large chunk of their cap space to make other signings.