1. Reggie Bullock
Projected salary: $2.3mil – $8mil
Reggie Bullock is a player the front office is well-acquainted with, having been a Los Angeles Laker for part of the 2018-19 season. This season as a member of the New York Knicks, Bullock was a legitimate three-and-d weapon for their starting lineup. Bullock made 2.5 threes per game at 41% for the season, numbers that exceed those of any Laker this season.
In the six games against the Suns, the Lakers collectively shot 29.9% from three, with only LeBron James (37.5%) shooting at a respectable clip amongst rotation players. For the regular season, the Lakers’ mark of 35.4% ranks 21st in the league.
More shooting will be a top priority for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, no matter how you slice it.
If the front office can add outside shooting with minimal salary cap implications, even better.
Enter Reggie Bullock, who is likely to be the best cheap source of shooting on the market, unless the front office is interested in a Danny Green reunion.
Part of what makes Bullock an attractive option amongst the cheaper free agents is that he provides much-needed shooting without compromising team defense too much. On the season, his defensive LEBRON rating (54th percentile) was passable, via BBall Index.
More importantly, in the recent series against the Atlanta Hawks, he did a reasonable job guarding Trae Young, limiting him to 44% shooting from the field and 33% shooting from three when matched up against him.
With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope firmly entrenched at starting shooting guard, coach Frank Vogel won’t ask Reggie Bullock to reprise his role as a starter in New York. However, the Lakers’ bench lacks outside shooting, with Alex Caruso is the only player above-average from deep for the season.
Signing Bullock would go a long way to alleviating that weakness.
He’s also likely to come at a price point that shouldn’t be too hard to fit under the salary cap, something that I can’t confidently say for the two more expensive free agents that this article will discuss.