Could the Lakers possibly bring back Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk this season?
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is a player that has gotten better during his short time in the NBA. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. Mykhailiuk never really got a chance to show what he could do as the Lakers traded him to the Detroit Pistons for Reggie Bullock.
He only played 39 games as a member of the Lakers and averaged just 10.8 minutes per game. Mykhailiuk has already been a member of three teams while only playing five total seasons in the NBA. Other than the Lakers and the Pistons, he was also a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder this past year.
If you look at his numbers you will see that he has improved each year. This past season, he averaged a career-high 10.3 points per game, shot a career-high 43% from the field, averaged a career-high 3.0 rebounds and 23.0 minutes per game. He scored in double digits in 27 games.
There are things about him that are very intriguing such as his six-foot-seven size and his ability to shoot.
The Los Angeles Lakers could use a legit sniper.
A player that specializes in shooting the three-pointer or the long jumper. In a league that is controlled by shooters, Svi Mykhailiuk should easily be able to find a home. After all, it is not like he has gotten worse during his time in the league.
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With the free agency period slowing down and teams looking to fill out their rosters, there is always the possibility that the Los Angeles Lakers could bring him back. After making an enormous splash in the free-agent market, the team has changed overnight.
With the experience he has gotten in this short time in the NBA, it may be something for the team to consider given that he has come off the bench and been a starter as well as his numbers have risen each and every season.
Being only 24, there is still a lot of time for him to greatly improve his game and to find a spot where he can serve a purpose. Another aspect for the Lakers to consider would be that he would not be expensive to sign from the free-agent market.
There are many players like him who have gone under the radar at times it seems for whatever reasons. He didn’t seem to fill a role when he first played for the team but to be fair, they were going through various different changes.
Also, there wasn’t really a place for him given that team had various other players such as Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, KCP, and Josh Hart. The roster was filled with so many players at the time as they were still trying to find the right mix.