Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players who might not finish the season in LA

By Jason Reed | Aug 29, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 21: Kent Bazemore #26 of the Golden State Warriors looks on against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on April 21, 2021 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

2. Kent Bazemore

Anyone that follows my work here at Lake Show Life knows that I am not the biggest fan of Kent Bazemore. Bazemore’s numbers with the Golden State Warriors were actually pretty solid last season and that could be a precursor to a solid season in LA for the former Laker.

That being said, those numbers can be a bit misleading. Yes, I know, the numbers, especially the advanced metrics, tell the story of a player and if Bazemore repeats those numbers then the Lakers will be happy.

That is the thing: him repeating the numbers seems unlikely and it seems more likely that he will regress and disappoint Laker fans. Could Bazemore prove me wrong and make me eat crow? Absolutely, but regression seems more likely for the veteran wing.

The Lakers are deep both at guard and at wing and there is a path in which Bazemore does not play as well as expected and falls down the depth chart. If the Lakers sign another wing, which seems like the most likely move, Bazemore could fall even deeper down the depth chart and not play at all.

At that point, it would not be surprising if the Lakers simply cut ties to open another roster spot if multiple players made sense or even included him in a midseason trade (more on that later).

Of course, the right situation has to present itself but if it does and the Lakers have to cut the low-hanging fruit, my best guess is that it will be Bazemore.

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