Los Angeles Lakers: 3 sleeper free agents with upside
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers don’t need to chase big names in free agency to get production.
Every offseason there are sleeper acquisitions that get overlooked and end up being great for the team that struck gold. The Los Angeles Lakers know this first-hand.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed several surprise free agents last summer that wound up having big impacts on the team. Avery Bradley had a career resurgence, Dwight Howard had his most productive season in years and is now a champion, Markieff Morris played the best basketball of his career in the NBA Playoffs.
Even someone like Alex Caruso, who has become a huge fan-favorite, came from humble beginnings and impacted the Lakers more than anyone could have imagined two years ago. Stars are great, solid role players are needed, but there is always the sleeper target out there.
That is true this offseason as well.
The Lakers could make some serious noise this offseason and certainly, at the very least, should be targeting another key role player either via trade or free agency, particularly with the mid-level exception.
Don’t sleep on the move that makes less noise, those. While these targets are certainly not the most appealing in free agency, they all have sleeper potential with some upside, if maximized correctly, on the Los Angeles Lakers.
Let’s get into the three sleeper targets that you may have otherwise overlooked that could be better than expected in LA.