Los Angeles Lakers: Three role players the front office should target

Backup Power Forward:

Here are the five best inexpensive backup power forward possibilities for the Lakers:

• Nikola Mirotic (2018-2019 salary: $7.5 million)
• JaMychal Green (2018-2019 salary: $8.1 million)
• Al-Farouq Aminu (2018-2019 salary: $7.5 million)
• Marcus Morris (2018-2019 salary: $5 million)
• Marquese Chriss (2018-2019 salary: $3 million)

Nikola Mirotic is 27 years old and he has a career 37 3P% to go along with a career 105 defensive rating. After the max free agents sign with their perspective teams, Mirotic is going to be one of the hottest free agents on the market. The Lakers would love to sign him, but they almost certainly won’t have the money to do so.

Al- Farouq Aminu is in a similar position to Nikola Mirotic. He’s 28 years old and he was one of the keys to the Trail Blazers run to the western conference finals. Aminu has a career 106 defensive rating to go along with a career 34 3P%. He’ll be too expensive for the Lakers.

There are three backup power forwards who are talented and who the Lakers will be able to afford: JaMychal Green, Marcus Morris, and Marquese Chriss.

Here are their 2018-2019 statistics:

• JaMychal Green: 21.1 MPG, 9.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.5 BPG, .403 3P%, 107 DEFRTG,                     108 OFFRTG, 2.9 WS
• Marcus Morris: 27.9 MPG, 13.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 0.3 BPG, .375 3P%, 109 DEFRTG, 110 OFFRTG,     4.5 WS
• Marquese Chriss: 11.6 MPG, 4.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 0.3 BPG, .222 3P%, 113 DEFRTG,                    92 OFFRTG,  -0.2 WS

Marquese Chriss is only 21 years old and very gifted. He was put in a difficult situation in Phoenix because the Suns have been tanking for the last few seasons. With that said, he had awful numbers last year and although he might become a good role player in the future, the Lakers are in win-now mode, so Chriss isn’t a feasible choice.

Marcus Morris and JaMychal Green are the two best available backup power forwards that the Lakers can sign this offseason.

Both players have similar advanced stats and they both shoot the ball well from deep. Additionally, Morris and Green are each hard-nosed defenders who have the bulk to guard power forwards and centers on the block.

The biggest difference between the two players is their level of experience in the NBA. Marcus Morris has started 292 games throughout his career while JaMychal Green has only started 151 contests during his four seasons in the NBA.

The Lakers need to add a power forward who can shoot and who can play solid defense, but LA also must add veterans who can help mentor the young core and show them what it takes to win in the NBA.

Marcus Morris would be the perfect backup power forward for the Lakers next season.