Dewayne Dedmon
As incredible as the Los Angeles Lakers 2020-2021 roster already looks, and it does look incredible, the one area where the team could use a little more depth is at the Center position.
Other than Marc Gasol, the only center on the team is Montrezl Harrell, and he while he plays like a seven-footer on offense, he is undersized (standing at 6’7″) and lacks the defensive ability of other true centers.
Enter Dewayne Dedmon. After being waived by the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Dedmon is left to look for a job elsewhere. He would be wise to look at the Lakers, and they would be wise to look at him. Dedmon is by no means a generational talent, but again, that’s not what this team needs right now.
At 7ft with a 7’4″ wingspan, weighing 245lbs, Dedmon is tall, long and agile enough to provide some interior defense and run the floor. He also shot 38.2% from beyond the arc in 2018-2019 while putting up 10.8 points per game, grabbing 7.5 boards, 1.1 steals and blocks in 25 minutes a night.
In short, he is exactly what the Lakers are looking for. A true center who can protect the rim, run in transition, and stretch the floor when necessary. He doesn’t demand a lot of playing time, and after a few years of being on subpar teams, he will likely be looking to go to a contender, even if it means sacrificing minutes.
For these reasons, the interest between Dedmon and the Lakers should be mutual as they both provide something the other is looking for.
The 2020-2021 Los Angeles Lakers already look LETHAL (on paper). Rob Pelinka has done a masterful job of adding role players to put around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While the free agents discussed above aren’t mind-blowing, shake up the league agreements like the ones Pelinka has already made, they are a solid form of security to an already excellent team.
Either way, it will be interesting to see what moves Pelinka makes next to put a bow on a fantastic Lakers offseason.