Los Angeles Lakers: 3 sleeper free agents with upside

By Jason Reed | Oct 29, 2020

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 08: Marvin Williams #20 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts to a call during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 08, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

2. Josh Jackson

Josh Jackson has not been very good in his NBA career thus far. He has not lived up to the expectations of being the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and it is absolutely fair to put the bust label on him.

However, I think it is one year too soon to give up on Jackson being a contributor in the NBA and going to a team like the Lakers could present the chance to find his niche in the league. We are not expecting him to completely flip the script, but he absolutely can be better in a good situation.

Jackson really has not had a good situation in his career. He was drafted by the Phoenix Suns and played two seasons there — I would not say that the Suns are necessarily a well-run organization and underperformers are not rare in Phoenix.

Then he played last season in Memphis. While Memphis is a better situation, he only played 22 games, only got 17.3 minutes per game and became an afterthought. Now, he is a free agent at the ripe age of 23.

Jackson still has the potential to be a decent two-way player in the NBA with his athleticism and size alone. Putting him on a defensive-minded team like the Lakers could work wonders for his career.

Plus, with not that much youth on the team, this could give the Lakers a way-under-valued young asset for multiple years that they could plan to mold with relatively no risk.

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