Fans Push For Lakers to Sign Free Agent Sharpshooter

Rodney Hood, Los Angeles Lakers

Getty Rodney Hood, Los Angeles Lakers

With all the talk about the Los Angeles Lakers looking to trade for Kyrie Irving or Myles Turner, it’s easy to forget that there is plenty of talent sitting in the free agent market, as the rest of the league wait to see what happens with Kevin Durant before finalizing their roster.

However, according to a recent off-season post on Lakers Reddit, it would seem that some fans view veteran wing Rodney Hood as an ideal fit with the current roster, specifically due to his perimeter scoring and size.

Hood has been in the NBA for eight years, and during that time he has participated in 448 regular-season games – starting 253 of them, as well as tasting post-season basketball on 44 occasions. Throughout the years, the six-foot-eight wing has racked up career averages of 10.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 42% from the field and 36.6% from deep. 

Furthermore, Hood would likely sign for a veteran minimum deal, meaning the Lakers could get some reliable perimeter shooting off the bench while paying next to nothing for the 29-year-old’s services. And considering the Lakers finished 22nd in three-point percentage last season, adding Hood projects to be a smart piece of business for a team that needs to improve their spacing around LeBron James and Anthony Davis.


LeBron James to Sign Extension According to Reports

Beyond the Lakers’ pursuit of Irving, and their endless quest to remove Russell Westbrook from their roster, the future of LeBron James has been a simmering question since the off-season began.

However, according to a recent report by ESPN’S Dave McMenamin on an August 5 episode of NBA Today, all signs are pointing to both parties agreeing on prolonging James’ stay with the team.

“All signs point toward both sides looking to extend their partnership together. It’s already led to one championship in 2020. It’s also led to two playoffs appearances where they didn’t make it, but overall, I think both sides recognize that they can help one another get to their mutual goal, which is to compete at a high level and stay relevant as both one of the best players in the NBA and one of the most marquee franchises in the NBA,” McMenamin said.

James was exceptional last season, ending the year with 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 52.4% from the field and 35.9% from the perimeter over 56 regular-season games.


Lakers Unlikely to Sign Irving

A big part in fans turning their attentions towards the free agent market is that any potential trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving looks to be all but over. According to an August 4 report by SNY’s Ian Begley, Irving has informed the Nets that he is happy to remain with the team for the final year of his contract.

“With regards to Kyrie Irving, I was told by a source close to Irving that he feels that he and the Nets are in a very good place right now, and comfortable heading towards the start of next season. Irving obviously opted in to the final year of his deal with Brooklyn, he can be an unrestricted free agent next summer. After a lot of trade talk, there doesn’t appear to be much there at the moment, so it’s worth noting that he feels like the Nets and he are in a good place at this point, as they head towards next season,” Begley reported.

Of course, with Irving off the table, Los Angeles needs to decide how to move forward with Westbrook, but that shouldn’t stop them from continuing to rebuild their roster – and adding a shooter such as Hood, who is battle tested and capable of impacting games off the bench, isn’t a bad idea if you’re searching for some reliable bench depth.

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