Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players who should be cut first for buyout signings

3. Avery Bradley

This one is probably not going to happen but is more of a personal wish. Frank Vogel really likes Avery Bradley and it seems like he thinks he is still the Bradley who was a solid two-way player for the Boston Celtics. He isn’t. When we are talking about the most disposable players on the Lakers roster, Bradley has to be third on the list.

However, it is clear that he is likely not going to be waived to make room for a buyout signing because he is getting decent minutes in the rotation. Instead, I would not be surprised if the Lakers instead waived someone like Wayne Ellington, even though it would be the wrong move.

Bradley simply does not offer anything worth keeping to the Lakers. He is a fine three-point shooter but is far from a marksman and certainly is worse than the trio of Ellington, Malik Monk and Carmelo Anthony.

Defensively, Bradley is not as good as Vogel makes him out to be. He is the classic case of being a gritty veteran who gives effort on each play but he is a step slow and undersized two be playing and defending two guards.

Bradley has a -3.6 Box Plus/Minus this season. The only players on the Lakers with a worse mark is Bazemore and Talen Horton-Tucker, who obviously is not going to be released with two more years on his contract.

The Lakers signed Bradley to a non-guaranteed contract right before the season seemingly with the intent of releasing him when someone else became available. Even though his contract is now guaranteed, the Lakers shouldn’t change their mindset if the opportunity presents itself.