Veteran free agents targets the Los Angeles Lakers should keep in mind

#5: Pau Gasol

The first player that the Los Angeles Lakers should keep their eye on is Pau Gasol. Gasol has already played for the Lakers earlier in his career after he was traded to the team from the Memphis Grizzlies for his brother Marc Gasol.

The Lakers just signed Marc in free agency. Adding his brother onto the team would be great for the team’s chemistry along with bringing in a Lakers legend.

During his seven-year stint with the Lakers, Gasol averaged 17.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. Along with this, Gasol was named an All-Star three times with the Lakers and won two championships with the team.

He is best known for being Kobe Bryant’s right-hand man for each of his title runs after the departure of Shaquille O’ Neal.

At this point in his career, Gasol would not contribute too much to the Lakers on the court. He is currently 40 years old and his impact on the court has greatly diminished due to his age. Gasol only participated in three games in the 2018-2019 season and did not play in the 2019-2020 season.

However, Gasol could be someone that the Lakers bring in if the team struggles from the three-point line or a center goes down with an injury. From 2013-2019, Gasol shot 42% from the three-point line. This is an elite percentage and he would do wonders for the court spacing on the offensive side of the ball.

On the flip side, however, Gasol would likely be a liability on the defensive side of the ball. He is too slow to keep up with guards and would be targeted heavily in the pick and roll.

We saw a career revival from fellow former Laker Dwight Howard when the Lakers brought him in last season. If Rob Pelinka and the Lakers choose to bring in Gasol, there is a slight possibility that he could see the same results as Howard did last season.