Los Angeles Lakers: 3 cost efficient options at center with DeMarcus Cousins out

Kenneth Faried

There once was a time where Kenneth Faried was an up and coming star in Denver. Times have changed, and Faried and Denver grew apart from each other as he eventually became a salary dump as he was traded with picks to Brooklyn.

In Brooklyn, Faried saw barely any playing time and was eventually waived by the team. Two days later Faried found a home in Houston and showed glimpses of what we saw when he was starting his career in Denver.

In 25 games in Houston, with 13 of them coming in the starting lineup, Faried had averages of 12.9 points and 8.2 rebounds on 58.7% shooting from the field. Although not known as a 3-point shooter in his career, he did manage to knock down seven of his 20 attempts playing in an offense predicated on spacing.

Career averages for Faried have been very good for the role that he would be put in with Los Angeles. Over his career, he has averaged 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds on 54.6% shooting. With what he showed in Houston last year, getting him on a veteran minimum contract would be a huge score for the Lakers and provide a small scoring punch off the bench for the team.

In the 25 games that Faried played for the Rockets, his advanced metrics were very good and was an upward boost for his NBA trajectory. His 116.5 offensive rating is considered very good and although his 110.1 defensive dating is high, a net positive rating of 6.4 is good for any position.

Faried has never been known for his defense but with the Lakers getting a good balance of defense to add to their team, some of those flaws could be covered. The Lakers need a player who can come in off the bench and score in spurts. There are nights where Faried out of nowhere could get you 20 and 10.

He is not a gigantic difference-maker, but he is a guy that if McGee is struggling you can plug him into the starting lineup and his energy will give you a boost. He had a good stretch with Houston and it’s interesting to still see him on the market, the Lakers should be on the phone with his agent gauging his interest.