The Lakers Options in the Offseason

The big story this year is the big free agent summer. There is more press about the opening of the free agent market than there was about the NBA Finals or the Draft. With the big name players that are testing the market, it's easy to imagine why. But, to the Lakers, the big name players mean nothing. They're looking at the gems with the less-than-superstar-status. They aren't looking for starters, just for solid backups that they so lacked at some points last season. Positions of interest include: A defending, spot up shooter at point guard, a solid wing to back up Ron Artest, and a legitimate backup center. The free agency isn't flooded with players like this, but there are options out there, let's break it down:

Point Guards
The triangle offense pretty much leaves the point guard as a spot up shooter. He brings the ball down, calls the play, passes the ball, and sets up in the corner. These are easy to find, but it is harder to find one who can defend. The perfect fit for the Lakers would have been Kirk Hinrich, but he has been slated to be sent to Washington on July 8th. The Laker's hopes of nabbing him are pretty much gone, plus, they don't want to have to take on his $9 million dollar contract and they don't have much to offer in a trade. Another problem being presented is that both Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown become unrestricted free agents on July 1st. The Lakers will most likely sign at least one of them back, so in the event that one of isn't signed, these are the two most attractive options in free agency.

1. Luke Ridnour

Team---G---GS---MPG---FG%----3p%----FT%--- RPG---APG---SPG---BPG----TO---PF----PPG
MIL------82---0----21.5---0.478--0.381---0.907----1.7------4.0-----0.7-----0.1-----1.3---2.2----10.4

Would clearly be the next best fit for this Lakers team besides Kirk Hinrich. He puts up solid numbers across the board, he can pass, he can score, he can defend, and he is capable of playing in a starting role or coming off the bench. You can see he didn't start one game last season, the first time in his career he posted a 0 in the games started category. Yet, even with 7 less minutes per game he posted better numbers in shooting, 3-point shooting, free-throw shooting, and points per game. There isn't much else you can ask for. He would be playing similar minutes for the Lakers, so you can expect a reflective stat line. Very solid.

2. Raymond Felton

Team---G---GS---MPG---FG%----3p%-----FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
CHA----80---80--33.0---0.459---0.385---0.763-----3.6-----5.6-----1.5-----0.3----2.1---2.2--12.1

The slightly more high profile option would be Raymond Felton. He's a better passer and defender, but can disappear for stretches. He would also be more expensive than Ridnour and would probably not take as well to heading to the bench.

Small Forwards
The Lakers only real backup for Ron Artest is Luke Walton, and he has had severe back problems and hasn't shown that he can be the player that the Lakers wanted him to be. In a league where finding a solid small forward is getting harder and harder to come by, this free agent season is pretty full of some useful ones.

1. Matt Barnes

Team---G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%---FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
ORL----81---58---25.9--0.487--0.319--0.740---5.5-----1.7-----0.7-----0.4----1.4---2.3---8.8

Barnes would be a great compliment to Ron Artest off the bench. He is a defender at heart, but can also fill it up from 3 and take it to the hole at times. A feisty energy guy, which fits very well on the Lakers bench. The problem is, many teams are shopping him, so he won't come cheap.

2. Travis Outlaw

Team--------G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%----FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
LAC/POR--34----6----21.5---0.391--0.381--0.831----3.6----1.0------0.5----0.5-----0.9--1.3----9.1

I've always liked Outlaw's game. He can fill up the stat sheet in all areas and has the length to defend a variety of players. His problem is consistency, he's the kind of guy who one night will take it hard to the rack, and the other just stand behind the 3-point line raining 3's. He has the capability to do everything at once, which would make him incredibly dangerous coming off the bench.

3. Mike Miller

Team---G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%----FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
WAS----54---50---33.4---0.501--0.480--0.824---6.2-----3.9-----0.7-----0.2-----2.1--2.4---10.9

Mike Miller is interesting. He's always been that one dimensional 3-point shooter until a couple of years ago when he abandoned the 3-point line almost completely and tried going to the basket and rebounding more. While it did make him a better team player, it took away his most attractive attribute, his 3-point shooting. He claims he wants to recover from this change of style and return to his old ways. Hopefully he still retains the rebounding ability and at least a willingness to take it to the cup. If he does that, he is a very enticing option at small forward, because he is also a capable passer and decent defender, in spurts. Another attractive thing about him is that he can play shooting guard or small forward, which would help provide a backup to Kobe as well as Ron Artest.

4. Tracy Mcgrady

Team--------G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%---FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF----PPG
NYK-HOU--30--24----22.4--0.387--0.250--0.746---3.1-----3.3-----0.5-----0.5----1.5---1.3----8.2

T-Mac is the wild card of this list, and since the Lakers won with the team they had, why not? We all know the kind of player he can be, I mean, the Kobe and T-Mac debate used to be a heated one. The question is, does he have any of that left? He's another guy that can play the shooting guard or small forward, though he is much more comfortable at shooting. I count him as a small forward on this list only because he will be primarily used as instant offense off the bench, and when teams do that, it's common to go small. He's not going to wow anyone on the defensive end anymore, but wouldn't it just be fun to see Tracy Mcgrady on the Lakers? It seems fitting. Problem is, he might still demand a lot of money, just for being T-Mac. He would have to take a pretty big cut to end up on the Lakers, in salary and in ego.

Centers
The Lakers haven't had a legitimate backup center in years, and with the frailty of Andrew Bynum becoming increasingly apparent with each passing year, the search for a guy that can play decent minutes when Bynum is healthy, and a starting position when he's hurt, is an important one. The only other center besides Bynum on the roster is DJ Mbenga, and his contract is up and most likely will not be resigned. But big men that can put up decent stats, and are willing to accept a contract that is slightly lower than what they think their size deserves, isn't an easy task.

1. Brendan Haywood

Team--------G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%---FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
WAS/DAL---77--67----30.6--0.562--0.000--0.620---9.3-----0.6-----0.3-----2.0----1.3---2.7---9.1

Haywood is the only solid big man that isn't asking for a lucrative deal next year. He's a great rebounder and defender, exactly what the Lakers need coming off the bench. He isn't going to astound you with his offense, but he takes shots he knows he can make, giving him such a high field goal shooting percentage. He doesn't demand the ball, which is good, especially on a team with so many offensive weapons. He would have to agree to a deal less than what he may think he's worth, but coming from a back-to-back championship winning Laker team that is eyeing a third, it's a lot easier to get a player to take a pay cut.

2. Aaron Gray

Team--------G---GS---MPG---FG%---3p%----FT%---RPG---APG---SPG---BPG---TO---PF---PPG
CHI/NOH---32---0-----9.7---0.512--0.000--0.714-----3.3-----0.7-----0.3-----0.3----0.6--1.7----3.3

You're probably thinking, "Who?" and "Why?". The answer is simple, he's 7'0, he's young (25), he's cheap, and, believe it or not, he's put up some decent numbers for the minutes given to him. I'm not saying he's going to come in and be able to play 20-25 minutes to give Bynum some rest, but if the Lakers were able to win 2 championships with DJ Mbenga as their backup center, anything is an upgrade.

Stats pulled from www.NBA.com