If insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, then what exactly is taking a strength and turning it into a flaw? In 2023-24, the best possible description of that action was the Los Angeles Lakers.
Fresh off of refusing to utilize one of the most efficient weapons in their arsenal, the Lakers are positioning themselves to embrace their strengths—and a free agent could help them do so.
In 2023-24, the Lakers ranked No. 8 in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage. Despite that top-10 finish in an essential statistical category, Los Angeles was No. 28 in three-point field goal attempts per game and dead last in attempts per 100 possessions.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report has identified a free agent who can help the Lakers fix this self-inflicted wound: Doug McDermott
"Los Angeles should be aggressive in trying to improve the roster via trade this summer, with an eye on opening up a roster spot and some money to sign a player like McDermott."
It's an interesting idea that could prove beneficial to the Lakers during the 2024-25 season.
Doug McDermott to the Lakers makes some level of sense
McDermott, 32, is one of the best three-point shooters of his generation. He ranks in the top 25 all-time with a career three-point field goal percentage of 41.0, and has shot 40.0 percent or better from distance in every season but one since 2017-18.
McDermott experienced a drastic decline in playing time last season, but he still managed to match his career percentage at 41.0 percent.
In the not too distant 2022-23 campaign, McDermott averaged 10.2 points per game and 17.9 points per 36 minutes. He's ready and willing to attempt three-point field goals whenever the ball comes his way, and is remarkably efficient when shooting them.
It's plausible that McDermott would struggle to find consistent playing time in Los Angeles, but his skill set certainly aligns with a malleable role.
By signing McDermott, the Lakers would add another layer of depth to the forward positions. As it presently stands, the quartet of Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Dalton Knecht, and Jarred Vanderbilt will be playing the lion's share of the available minutes at the 3 and the 4.
In the event of an injury, however, having a sharpshooter like McDermott could prove valuable to a Lakers team that knows quite a bit about how quickly rotations can lose key pieces.
The question in this scenario is whether the Lakers would actually be willing to part with a player like defensive specialist Cam Reddish to create an opening for McDermott. Truthfully, it doesn't seem to be the most likely of outcomes.
Nevertheless, one can't help but be intrigued by the idea of the Lakers actually embracing the need to shoot the three-point shot with enthusiasm rather than reluctance.