The Los Angeles Lakers are obliged to win and compete at the highest level every season. Rob Pelinka’s tenure in charge of the team has seen some poorly-built rosters, and LeBron James can’t win on his own.
Pelinka and Jeanie Buss seemingly refuse to build around James’ strengths and flaws. They stacked the team with non-shooter, ball-dominant perimeter players rather than address their biggest need: Shooting.
The good news is that it’s still not too late for the purple and gold. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three free-agent shooters they should try and sign to salvage another potentially disappointing season.
NBA Rumors: 3 Shooters Lakers Should Sign
3. Jeremy Lamb
Jeremy Lamb isn’t much of a defender, but he’s proven to be a streaky scorer and an instant offensive spark off the bench. He’d be more than willing to sign a veteran-minimum deal to be back in the league.
Lamb is a career 35% shooter from beyond the arc. And while those numbers are hardly elite, he’d still be a significant improvement over all Lakers not named Matt Ryan right now. That’s how poorly built their roster is.
2. Rodney Hood
Rodney Hood was poised for a promising career before constant injuries derailed his development. Now, he’s out of a team despite being one of the best offensive players a second unit could have.
Hood already played for the Clippers, so he’d gladly come back to Los Angeles. He’s a 36% three-point shooter and a guy who can play on the wing and knock down shots from all three levels.
1. Carmelo Anthony
And last but not least, the Los Angeles Lakers should give Carmelo Anthony another call. If anything, the fact that he remains unsigned despite being one of their best players last season is shocking.
Anthony is one of the greatest pure scorers of all time. He was huge in the clutch last year for them, and would instantly become the best shooter on their roster. Pick up the phone, Bron; you know you want to.