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Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the first wave of offseason moves

By Jason Reed

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 09: Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors prior to the start of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 09, 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)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 09: Marc Gasol #33 of the Toronto Raptors prior to the start of the game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 09, 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 Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

4. Signing Wesley Matthews

I love the signing of Wesley Matthews and it only comes in fourth in that list, highlighting just how good Rob Pelinka has been in such a short span this offseason.

The Lakers had a hole at wing after trading Danny Green and needed to replace it with more than just a depth option as wings are very important in today’s league. So what do they do? They sign a really solid wing player ona  $3.6 million contract.

That’s it. The Lakers signed someone who could legitimately offer the team the exact same level of production that Green offered them last season for only $3.6 million. Yes, it seems far-fetched, but the numbers back it up.

According to Basketball-Index, Matthews posted a PIPM (player impact plus-minus) of 1.55. More importantly, his defensive PIPM was 2.37. By that metric, Matthews was the 16th best defensive player in the league last season.

Green was not one of the players ahead of Matthews, although he had a solid 1.13 defensive PIPM last season. Matthews can offer that same shooting stroke as Green as well. He shot 36.4% from beyond the arc last season (38.1% in his career) while Green shot 36.7% last season.

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