2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was included in the trade for Russell Westbrook and some may use his inclusion as a reason why the Lakers should have traded for Buddy Hield instead. The Lakers were rumored to just be trading Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell and a pick for Hield, meaning that KCP would have stayed in town.
One of the main reasons why the Lakers’ defense has taken a hit this season is because the team lost a lot of its good perimeter defenders in the offseason, including KCP. While KCP was often on the receiving end of a lot of memes in LA, the team knew exactly what they were getting out of him and that presence is missed.
He obviously had to be included in the trade for the salaries to work but he would have been so perfect on this team. While there is a contingent of Laker fans who really like Kent Bazemore, it is hard to deny the fact that the team would be better off giving KCP the minutes that they are giving Bazemore.
KCP is playing pretty well for the Washington Wizards this season. The former Laker is playing 31.3 minutes per game and is averaging 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He is shooting 43.8% from beyond the arc and has the highest effective field goal percentage of his career at 60.4%.
His defense has not been elite but he has been serviceable as a spot-up perimeter defender.