Los Angeles Lakers: Realistic tier 3 free agents to target

4. Thaddeus Young

If there’s one area that the Lakers absolutely need to make improvements in, it’s their big-man rotation. After the trade earlier this year of Ivica Zubac and the likely event of the Lakers not re-signing JaVale McGee and Mike Muscala, this leaves the center position wide open.

With the Pacer’s logjam at the big man position, the team is going to have to decide between Myles Turner, Domantas Sabonis and Thaddeus Young in the coming years. With Young being the oldest of the three, it’s very possible the Pacers will have to let Young walk in order to preserve cap space to sign Sabonis in the future and to accomodate Turner’s already large salary number.

Young is versatile enough to be slotted in as a power forward or a small-ball center and is a skilled post-player who also steadily improved his outside shot to a respectable 35% from three this season. He’s also athletic enough to be a capable switch defender and was part of an Indiana Pacers team that boasted a top-10 defense during the regular season (before the team lost Victor Oladipo to injury).

Acquiring Young will more than likely move Kyle Kuzma to the bench, but I think that actually might be a blessing in disguise for Kuz, who I think would thrive as a spark plug 6th man akin to Lou Williams. It would also help cover his weaknesses on the defensive end going up against weaker second units.