Lakers’ potential interest in washed veteran is a nightmare for fans
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers do not have very many options when it comes to free agency this year. Rob Pelinka has one Taxpayer MLE that he can dole out and on top of that, the rest of the roster is going to have to be built with minimum signings.
There is value in minimum signings if the Lakers can find the right gems. Malik Monk was a great signing last year and it should set the precedent for pursuing younger players. That is why the latest potential target from the Cleveland Cavaliers makes sense for the team.
What Lakers fans should want to see less off is washed veterans signing for the minimum only for them to be played out of the rotation by the deadline. Granted, there is bound to be at least one or two of these signings but the Lakers should not prioritize them. They should be filler at the end of the roster.
That is why it is so concerning that the team is potentially interested in former All-NBA forward Blake Griffin. Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported that the Lakers are among several teams that are interested in signing Griffin this offseason. That, ladies and gentlemen, should be a nightmare.
Why the Lakers’ interest in Blake Griffin is a horrible thing:
This is more about the precedent it sets than the player itself — not to say that Griffin is a great player or anything. Griffin is undoubtedly over the hill and does not offer much to an NBA team at this point in his career.
He was inefficient with the Brooklyn Nets last season and he is not the kind of player that the Lakers should be adding. Los Angeles is already dealing with floor-spacing issues in having Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis play prominent roles. Getting another big who can’t effectively space the floor and does not make up for it with good defense is the wrong move for the team.
But the entire fact that the Lakers are interested in Griffin is the more concerning sign. This could indicate that Pelinka and the front office are once again prioritizing these veterans who used to be all-stars but are now over the hill.
That is the wrong mindset. The options are limited, sure, but the Lakers should be prioritizing the young talent available first. That is the only way the team can get the production needed to contend for a title and is the only way they can actually start building continuity.
If the Lakers are going to pursue older veterans with the minimum then they should at least make sense from a basketball standpoint. While Griffin was amazing in his prime, he is not nearly the same guy anymore and the NBA has kind of passed him by.
Why the team would be potentially prioritizing that is anyone’s guess.