The Los Angeles Lakers made another addition to the roster this week as the team signed Dennis Schroder to a one-year contract. This added yet another point guard to a crowded room and potentially signaled that a Russell Westbrook trade might be more likely than we thought.
Los Angeles still has one open roster spot to work with in free agency and a glaring roster hole that needs to be filled. The biggest hole on the Lakers roster is the team’s wing depth, or lack thereof. Addressing this depth issue can also help the Lakers fix the issues with the defense and three-point shooting.
If the Lakers are not going to trade Westbrook then the team will likely end up bringing in another free agent. Preferably, this free agent will be a wing, not another guard. The options are not great but there are still at least options to bolster this depth.
Here are 3 free-agent wings the Lakers could potentially sign after adding Dennis Schroder:
1. Markieff Morris
Markieff Morris gets a bad rep from NBA fans as he can be pretty inconsistent at times. That is what you get when you sign a player for the league minimum a month before the season begins.
That being said, there is a lot to like about Morris. At his best, he is a capable three-point shooter that plays serviceable defense. He is by no means a lockdown defender but he can certainly hold his own and will not be targeted on the defensive side of the ball.
The Lakers have seen firsthand how good Morris can be when everything is going right for the NBA twin. Back in 2020, Morris posted the third-highest three-point percentage in a playoff run in Lakers franchise history. His box score numbers may not be that impressive, but those that watched that run know that he hit some big shots when they needed them.
2. Carmelo Anthony
The Los Angeles Lakers went the route of bringing in veteran after veteran last season and it did not work. This offseason, the front office has taken a different approach as everyone the team signed in free agency was under 30 with several under 25.
That does not mean that the team should avoid veterans altogether and at this point, reuniting with Carmelo Anthony is not the worst idea in the world. Perhaps this has been the plan all along: see what happens with a Westbrook trade and then bring Melo back if there is an open roster spot.
Carmelo does not help with the defense (that is obvious) but he adds a much-needed three-point shooting dynamic to the team. The Lakers are horrible at three-point shooting and Melo would instantly be the best off-ball shooter the team has on the roster.
The Lakers won games last season because of scoring outbursts by Melo off of the bench last season and the same could be said next season. He might be someone who gets played out of a playoff rotation but at the end of the day, Anthony adds quality depth for the regular season.
The team already added one former Laker late in free agency, who is to say that they won’t add another in Carmelo?
3. Jeremy Lamb
It is quite surprising that Jeremy Lamb is still a free agent and that the Los Angeles Lakers have not yet signed him to a contract. At this point, it is pretty clear that he is only going to get a minimum contract and for that reason, he makes a ton of sense for LA.
The second that the Lakers officially rule out a Westbrook trade before the season they should be getting Lamb’s agent on the phone to make a deal. Lamb may not end up being that impactful of a player for the Lakers but the potential is certainly there.
Los Angeles did bring Lamb in for a workout, so there is potential interest there for the team. At the very least, Lamb might be getting a training camp deal with LA.
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers brought in several free agents for workouts, including former lottery picks Shabazz Muhammad and Jeremy Lamb. Dwayne Bacon, Miye Oni and others also worked out for the Lakers, @hoopshype has learned.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) September 17, 2022
When Lamb is at his best he is a valuable two-way wing that can play legitimate minutes in an NBA rotation. This is the kind of role player that is so valuable coming off the bench in a playoff series as he can defend at an above-average level while hitting shots as an off-ball shooter.
Lamb is coming off of a bad year in which his three-point shot was not there and his defending didn’t look as promising. However, he was on two horrible teams in the Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings, so it is hard to really gauge where he is at.
The Lakers have superstars that can elevate Lamb’s play as well as a head coach in Darvin Ham that fans are hoping will be the real deal. If he is, he will get the most out of Lamb next season.
3 reasons why Lakers will trade Westbrook to Pacers after Schroder deal
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Dennis Schroder to a one-year deal and there are now several signs pointing to Russell Westbrook being traded to the Pacers.
There was some speculation around the Lakers trading for Lamb during the 2021-22 season and while that ultimately did not happen, it does not rule Lamb out for the 2022-23 season.