Los Angeles Lakers: 6 potential free-agent targets with ties to Darvin Ham
By Jason Reed
3. Robin Lopez
Robin Lopez is someone who Laker fans should not be clamoring for this offseason. In fact, we included him in the list of seven free agents that the Los Angeles Lakers should avoid this offseason. That article was published before the team hired Ham and things could change.
Don’t get me wrong, I still do not think Lopez is a great fit for this Lakers team. The front office should already be shying away from adding too much traditional center depth on the roster and Lopez does not really add what the Lakers need.
Lopez is not a good rebounder or shot-blocker despite being a seven-footer and he does not really stretch the floor, either. Sure, he provides gritty defense as a bench option but he does not offer the core things that the Lakers are looking for in the position.
That being said, the familiarity in playing under Ham could be a driving force that makes the Lakers choose him over some of the other center options. Lopez himself only spent one season with the Bucks but his brother, Brook, played under Budenholzer and Ham for plenty of years.
That connection could be enough for Lopez to land the depth center job in which he would only play 10-12 minutes per game with a better option in front of him. Not the best signing, but if he is brought in solely as a veteran locker room presence then it is not the worst thing in the world.