It didn’t take long before the Los Angeles Lakers rounded up most of their roster for the upcoming NBA season. They made several moves in the early hours of free agency, locking up LeBron James’ supporting cast.
The Lakers did well in the NBA Draft and managed to keep some of their key guys at a very reasonable price, adding more depth to the wings. Even so, GM Rob Pelinka still has some work to do.
Darvin Ham’s team still has one open roster spot left, and according to a report by Jovan Buha of The Athletic, they’re targeting another big to take more pressure off Anthony Davis’ shoulders. However, it’s not like they have some impressive candidates.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Target Mo Bamba Or Tristan Thompson For Final Roster Spot
“L.A. is targeting another big man with its 14th roster spot, according to team sources. They are likely to carry 14 guaranteed contracts into the season, leaving one roster spot open,” wrote Buha. “Mo Bamba, whom the Lakers waived on Thursday, and Tristan Thompson, who joined the team right before their playoff run, remain options to fill that 14th spot, according to league sources.”
To be fair, both Bamba and Thompson have already spent some time — albeit brief — with the team recently, so it would give them some continuity as opposed to working on a whole new project. That makes sense.
But even though it’s the final roster spot and the deal might not even be fully guaranteed, the Lakers could give it a better use, as Thompson should be on his way out of the league and Bamba has rarely been efficient or even healthy.