5. Mike Muscala
Another former Laker, Mike Muscala is not guaranteed to be a free agent this offseason. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a club option on Muscala’s contract that would pay him $3.5 million next season.
While that is not a large number, the Thunder are not a team that spends much money and with the chance of them getting someone like Chet Holgrem in the draft, the team might be better off letting Muscala walk to develop the young players on the roster.
Muscala’s first stint with the Lakers was pretty bad as he was the return in the horrible Ivica Zubac trade with the Los Angeles Clippers. Muscala came to the Lakers and didn’t really do much, failing to leave his mark in any way.
That bad stint with the Lakers should not sour the Lakers from potentially pursuing the former Atlanta Hawk. On paper, Muscala is exactly the kind of big that the Lakers should be looking to add to the roster.
Muscala is a floor-spacing big that can play the four next to Anthony Davis without sacrificing size and can even play the five when Davis is not on the floor. If we expect the team to try to fix Westbrook, getting a depth big like Muscala to put in when Davis is out can help the floor spacing with Russ and solve some of the offensive inefficiencies.
Muscala is a career 37.7% three-point shooter who shot 42.9% from beyond the arc this past season. He may not add much of a rebounding or shot-blocking presence, but next to Anthony Davis that is fine because of his floor spacing.