Getty Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James locked up now but that doesn’t guarantee title contention. The roster still has quite a few holes. Most of the talk has been surrounding what the team could do on the trade market but options may be limited there.
It’s late in the offseason so there aren’t many great free agents left but the Lakers could consider taking a chance on a former highly-touted prospect. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He has never lived up to his draft status as he hasn’t played a game since 2020. Fastbreak’s Ben Stinar believes that the Lakers should take a flyer on the former Kentucky forward:
Since Kidd-Gilchrist has not played in the NBA for an extended period, he will more than likely be available for the veteran’s minimum (or even a training camp deal).
Therefore, it would be a move that requires no risk for the Lakers.
They could bring him into training camp, and see if he is a fit with their roster.
If he isn’t, they simply waive him.
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Kidd-Gilchrist Played With Anthony Davis in College
Kidd-Gilchrist wouldn’t be a game-changer for the Lakers. He averages 8.4 points a game in his career and hits just 27.2% of his threes. What might make him interesting is his connection to Anthony Davis. The two played together at Kentucky and were part of the last team to win a championship there.
Davis ended up being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft and Kidd-Gilchrist was second. The former has been much more successful. Davis is an eight-time All-Star and NBA champion. He’ll be in the Hall of Fame one day. That won’t be the case for Gilchrist as he’s never reached close to the same heights. That said, perhaps he can recapture some magic playing next to Davis. The two were a big reason Kentucky was able to win a championship. It would be a low-risk move considering teams aren’t lining up to Kidd-Gilchrist right now.
Can Lakers Improve the Roster?
While signing Kidd-Gilchrist is a low-risk move for the Lakers, it’s not going to fix their issues. The team has gotten younger this offseason, which should help the defense. However, the team has very little shooting. There isn’t a single dependable 3-point shooter on the roster right now. They could consider bringing back Carmelo Anthony or Wayne Ellington, who are both solid shooters. They were liabilities last season due to their defensive issues but now that there are more defenders on the team, that would be less of an issue.
The Lakers appear to be banking on a trade being able to materialize. Two of the names they’ve been linked to have been Kyrie Irving and Buddy Hield. Both of them are elite shooters and would fill that need. That said, it doesn’t look like a guarantee that they’ll be able to get either. If not, the Lakers could be in serious trouble when it comes to shooting.
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