9. Quinn Cook
He has shown consistent improvement after he struggled to stay in the league his first few years after a sterling four-year college career at Duke. He spent the past two seasons with the Warriors, where he was an important scorer off the bench and also filled-in reasonably well in the 28 games he started when Steph Curry was hurt.
The strength of Cook’s game is his ability to score. He is a 42% career three3-point shooter and altogether has averaged over 16 points per 36 minutes. He should be a nice weapon on the Lakers’ second unit.
8. Alex Caruso
He was quite impressive during the final 18 games last season when he scored in double figures 11 times. He shot 43% from behind the arc, a percentage the Lakers hope he can come close to duplicating this season. His hustle and determination are big parts of his game.
Caruso will compete for a starting guard spot in training camp, where he’ll get the chance to show that he can pick up right where he left off last season. He’s more likely to start the season as an important cog on the team’s second unit. But, regardless of whether he starts or come off the bench, he may be ready to be a major contributor to Lakers success this year.
7. Avery Bradley
Before he was sidelined with various injuries, most prominently one in his groin area, he was one of the top defensive guards in the NBA. If he has completely recovered, as he says he has, he is the Laker best suited to start in the backcourt alongside Danny Green and defend the opponent’s quick point guards.
Bradley is a legitimate two-way threat who can hit the open jumper and drive to the hoop. If healthy, he would bring nice balance to the starting five and could prove to be one of the Lakers best free agent signings.