3. Kendrick Nunn
I really like Kendrick Nunn as he was one of the best value signings in all of the NBA this offseason. Hopefully, he finishes the season with the Los Angeles Lakers as that means that he would have given the team what it was expecting off the bench.
Nunn has the potential to be a hugely impactful player during the Lakers’ title run. His scoring presence and shooting ability off the bench should not be overlooked. And while he is not the best defensive player, the hope is that the Lakers can maximize him.
His defense is still a potential concern, though. Despite being so good in the regular season it got to a point where the Miami Heat could not even play Nunn in big spots during their 2020 title run. Every season we see bad defensive players get exposed in the playoffs and hopefully, that is not Nunn.
That could be part of the reason why Nunn does not finish the season in LA but that is not the main reason. The main reason is that he is the one signing that actually has some value to his contract, considering the fact that he was signed with the Taxpayer’s MLE.
Talen Horton-Tucker also has a movable contract but there is no way the Lakers move on from him. It is easier to talk themselves into Nunn.
Once again, the right situation has to present itself but if a potential trade is on the table then Nunn is the most likely to be moved because of his salary. You could also package Kent Bazemore and heck, even Marc Gasol to make the money work if that is what needs to be done.
It would take a true upgrade and if a true upgrade is available then it likely means that Nunn was not playing up to expectations. Hopefully, that is not the case.