4 Free agent fits for the Lakers while they wait on Kyrie Irving

2. Dennis Schroder

Dennis Schroder made a huge mistake turning down the Lakers’ offer a year ago and has struggled to find the same success since leaving the team. Many fans forget just how valuable Dennis was for long stretches during his time with the Lakers. He improved his defense and was a great threat to get to the rim or create a shot anytime he had his hands on the ball.

This is the exact skillset the Lakers need with the roster as currently constructed. He is a more reliable shooter than Westbrook and arguably a better ball handler when you look at the turnovers Russ created last season.

This isn’t to say Dennis has ever been close to the player Russ has been throughout his career. Only to point out that the Lakers should consider signing Dennis who is a far better fit for the team at this point in his career.

Even if the team insists on keeping Westbrook, Dennis could be a valuable contributor off the bench giving the team a scorer they lacked last season. Outside of Carmelo, it was difficult to find anyone on the Laker bench capable of creating a shot. Dennis can do just that for stretches and give the team a scoring boost when they rest their stars just as he did during his first stint with the team.