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The biggest need the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have heading into the offseason is shooting. The team was among the worst at 3-point shooting in the entire NBA, which isn’t a recipe for success these days. Luckily, there should be options available that won’t break the bank.
There are plenty of great shooters out there but the Lakers need to find the right fit. The team has put a large emphasis on defense since Frank Vogel took over as head coach. That likely means that any shooter the Lakers target will also need to have defensive capabilities. According to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, Reggie Bullock could be a strong player to look at:
They need Reggie Bullock, a plucky perimeter defender with a career 39.2 percent splash rate across eight seasons. It might take the full mid-level exception to get him, but even then, it’d be better a way of handling the MLE than last offseason’s splurge on scoring big man Montrezl Harrell.
Bullock started 64 games for a solid New York Knicks team that made it to the playoffs. What will make him most appealing to the Lakers is the fact that he hit 41.0% of his threes this season. He also recently had a brief stint with the team just a couple of years ago. If Los Angeles is looking for a cheap sharpshooter in free agency, Bullock would be a really good option.
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Lakers Could Also Look at Wayne Ellington
If Bullock goes elsewhere or decides to stay in New York after a strong season, the Lakers still have other options. They could take a look at another guard who used to be a part of the team. Wayne Ellington has been talked about as an option for some time and now he’ll finally be available as an option in free agency. Buckley also listed him as a good fit for the Lakers:
Plus, if you’re getting a bomber like Wayne Ellington, that one dimension is pretty spectacular. The veteran sharpshooter, who spent the 2014-15 campaign with the Lakers, just averaged 2.5 triples on 42.2 percent shooting. For reference, L.A. didn’t have anyone who averaged 2.5 threes, and the only three players who averaged two-plus all shot below 37 percent.
Ellington isn’t a great defender but he can knock down threes better than anybody currently on the Lakers. With so many other great defenders on the roster, they can sacrifice a bit of defense so that they can add such a strong
shooter.
A 3rd Star Isn’t Likely on the Table
With the NBA being such a star-driven league, it would be ideal for the Lakers to land a third superstar to pair with Anthony Davis and LeBron James. As great as that sounds, it’s not so easily attainable. Los Angeles doesn’t have the available money or tradeable assets to acquire another superstar.
That doesn’t mean the Lakers can’t still win another championship. Davis and LeBron are still two of the best in the world when healthy. With those two leading the team, Los Angeles can go really far. The Lakers just need to surround them with the right talent.
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