The NBA Finals are officially over and like every single year, the second the Finals end the NBA rumors start to pick up. While we have been getting hints since the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated, the Lakers rumors have really exploded over the last few days.
We have already learned of a potential free-agent target for the Lakers this offseason. Marc Berman of the New York Post reported that the Lakers have Reggie Bullock on their list and join the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics as teams that are interested in the wing.
Laker fans are familiar with Bullock. The team traded Sviatoslav Mykhaliuk and a second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Bullock during the 2018-19 season. Reunions can be a great thing and adding Bullock would be a great move for the Lakers.
Three reasons why signing Reggie Bullock would be great for the Los Angeles Lakers:
1. His familiarity with playing alongside LeBron James
LeBron James was hurt during the 2018-19 season so Bullock did not get that much time on the floor with King James but he still has that familiarity. That is extremely important for a role player to have as playing with LeBron is different from playing with any other star.
LeBron-led teams warrant a certain level of attention and expectation and the way LeBron is a leader is definitely different from other stars. He is not a bad leader by any means, but it can become difficult for players to mesh with him and grow accustomed to what it means to be on his team.
We have seen role players really thrive in this situation and we have seen role players crumble in this situation. Jae Crowder is a solid rotation player who has made it to the NBA Finals two years in a row and his tenure with LeBron was horrible.
Bullock’s history with LeBron already gives him an edge up over some of the other free agents who may profile similarly.