5 free agents the Lakers should sign after day 1 free agency frenzy

By Jason Reed | Jul 1, 2022

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - AUGUST 08: T.J. Warren #1 of the Indiana Pacers drives against Kyle Kuzma #0 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the third quarter at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 8, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kim Klement - Pool/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images) /

2. T.J. Warren

T.J. Warren is one of the most interesting free agents this offseason as he would have undoubtedly netted a decent contract if he was healthy. The problem is that Warren is not healthy as he has played just four games over the last two seasons.

That opens the door for the Lakers to potentially get an over-qualified player at the veteran minimum who is just looking to come to a big market team to increase his value. There is still the chance that another team tries to swoop Warren up with the MLE but the fact that he did not go in day one does increase the Lakers’ chances.

At his best, Warren can be a microwave scorer whether he is in the starting five or on the bench and he is someone who could swing an entire playoff game. He is not going to win you an entire series, but he can win you a pivotal Game 5 on the road.

His last full season with Indiana shows a lot of promise. Warren averaged 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Better yet, Warren is a decent defensive piece as well. He is by no means elite but he can provide quality minutes on the defensive side. Warren averaged 1.2 steals per game in his last full season.

While Warren may not seem like the likeliest of minimum contract candidates, at the end of the day more surprising things have happened and the Lakers could land a real steal.

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