Winner: Kendrick Nunn
Kendrick Nunn was viewed as a fantastic value signing for the Los Angeles Lakers not this summer, but in the summer of 2021. Nunn signed a two-year Taxpayer’s Mid-Level Exception deal as he was betting on himself with a team that many thought would contend for an NBA Championship.
Nunn never actually suited up for said team in the regular season because of injuries and the Lakers were far from being a contender. Thankfully for Nunn, he signed a two-year deal with a player option so he was able to opt into his contract to once again try and bet on himself.
Nunn showed Lakers fans what they missed last season with his preseason play as he looked like the best guard on the roster and the third-best scorer on the team. Like Ryan, his preseason numbers started to tail off towards the end but at one point, Nunn looked like the hottest shooter on planet earth.
Casual NBA fans may have forgotten about Nunn and just how good he was on the Miami Heat. If the Lakers can figure out the Westbrook situation and actually turn it into something that the team can contend with then Nunn can play a huge role as a microwave bench scorer in a playoff series.
If not, and things go the complete other direction for Los Angeles, the team will at least have a valuable trade asset to recoup some of their losses.