3 minimum free agents that can bolster the Los Angeles Lakers defense

By Jason Reed | Apr 21, 2022

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(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

1. Nemanja Bjelica

Nemanja Bjelica was someone who I was pounding the table for last offseason but he ultimately signed with the Golden State Warriors on a minimum deal and started the season off red-hot. Bjelica did cool down halfway through the year, but he still finished with a great season as a minimum signing.

Bjelica actually posted one of the best Defensive Box Plus/Minus numbers in the league last season. His 2.3 DBPM ranked 13th in the entire NBA among players with at least 500 minutes played and was far higher than any Laker.

That number is misleading as Bjelica is not a top-15 defender in the league and he is not on the level of someone like Anthony Davis. That being said, Bjelica is obviously more than capable of churning in great minutes on the defensive side of the ball.

What makes Bjelica such a great fit for the Los Angeles Lakers is the fact that is a five with size that can help defend the rim but can also space the floor as one of the better three-point shooting centers in the entire league.

That is exactly the kind of big you want to put out there next to Anthony Davis the combo of these two defensively, with Bjelica’s shooting, could be dynamic for the Lakers.

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