Los Angeles Lakers: Why the MLE might be used on Goran Dragic

By Jason Reed | Nov 9, 2020

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Goran Dragic #7 of the Miami Heat reacts against the New Orleans Pelicans during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

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

2. The other MLE options are redundant for the Los Angeles Lakers

Danilo Gallinari is still my ideal MLE target for the Los Angeles Lakers but other things need to happen for Gallinari to be a fit. Right now, Gallinari is kind of redundant on the Los Angeles Lakers roster.

While Gallinari is a better player than Kyle Kuzma and Markieff Morris, the Lakers would not need Gallinari at all with Kuzma and Morris on the roster as they all essentially add the same dynamic. Plus, Gallinari is not a great defender.

For Gallinari to fit on the Lakers the team would need to trade Kyle Kuzma, which is something that I outlined happening in my dream offseason scenario. If the team was able to swing Kuzma and more assets for Jrue Holiday or Victor Oladipo then that would be fantastic.

However, that is a lot of moving parts that need to happen for Gallinari to fit on the roster. Dragic already fits on the roster.

There are other potential options, such as Marc Gasol, but that is also extremely redundant with the team potentially re-signing both Dwight Howard and DeMarcus Cousins (both of which they should).

There really is not another MLE point guard that fits as well as Dragic. Fred VanVleet would be the only potential option but he is absolutely going to get more than an MLE deal in the offseason.

But what about Dragic? Is an MLE deal enough to sign the veteran point guard? Yes, it is. Let’s break it down.

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