4. Justin Jackson
Josh Jackson is different from every other player on this list. The other three players have legitimate selling points for the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson does not have the same selling points and the chances of him working out are far slimmer. That being said, the Lakers are desperate and it could come down to the team needing something out of a 15th roster spot.
If the team needs to fill one more roster spot it would be much better to test the player development skills of the staff and sign someone like Jackson to a non-guaranteed deal. That is much better than signing some over-the-hill veteran who has no upside and won’t even play.
Jackson does have the most pedigree of anyone on this list as he was taken with the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. Jackson got playing time in Phoenix but was mostly bad and only lasted two seasons with the team that drafted him.
He then spent a year in Memphis and a year and a half in Detroit before being traded to the Sacramento Kings in the Marvin Bagley trade this past season. Jackson averaged just 10.3 minutes per game in 12 games with the Kings.
Jackson’s main selling point as a prospect was his freakish athleticism and how that could translate to both sides of the ball. He was raw as a young player but the potential for Jackson to be a legitimate force on both ends of the court was hard to ignore.
The problem is that Jackson never really learned to be a good shooter and his defense, for the most part, was never really that special. None of the things that he was sold on in the draft have blossomed in the league.
That being said, Jackson has only played in bad situations. The Suns were a mess when he was drafted there, the 2019-20 Memphis team had a rookie Ja Morant and was fun but wasn’t really trying to develop him, and the Pistons and Kings are two of the worst franchises in the sport.
Put him on a team that puts resources into him and actually has talent around him and there might be a massive difference. His defensive energy and effort will certainly be higher and while the Lakers won’t simply fix his jump shot overnight, they could maximize his offensive capabilities with LeBron James running the show.
He might not have a legitimate selling point now based on how he has actually played in the league thus far but he still is only 25 years old and I do not think we should completely ignore all of the hype that was around him when he was drafted only five years ago.