4. Jared Dudley
I do not think there is much of a chance that Jared Dudley returns to the Los Angeles Lakers after this season. The reason for signing him makes sense, but you wonder if the Lakers necessarily even need Dudley, especially when they could use that roster spot on a sharpshooter.
Dudley was brought in as a veteran depth option in the frontcourt and that has been exactly who he is in LA. He has not played much, averaging only 7.8 minutes per game. But that is fine, that is exactly what the Lakers brought him in for.
The argument for Dudley is that he is a veteran that could help a young forward, such as Kyle Kuzma, grow as a player. However, the team already has so many veterans on the roster, making the addition of Dudley redundant. The team would be much better off with a traditional stretch four or a sharpshooting guard getting those minutes.
It is interesting to note that Dudley was the only player among the initial free-agent signings in the summer that signed a one-year deal, not a two-year deal. That alone should be a telling sign of Dudley’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers do not really need Dudley and they could definitely use that cap space or the veteran minimum exception on a player that could have more of an impact than Dudley. Heck, I would rather use that depth roster spot on a young player to give them more NBA experience.
Percent chance of re-signing: 10%