Getty LeBron James being trapped by two Wizards players.
The Los Angeles Lakers roster still needs to improve after not making any meaningful moves in the offseason so far. With 15 players on the roster, the Lakers would have to get rid of a player to add anyone in free agency, which is certainly part of the reason why their offseason has been quiet.
While most of the top free agents available have signed with other teams, there are still players who could help improve a Lakers team that was eliminated in the first round last season. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed players they should pursue to help them improve as “late free agency steals,” including 6 Man of the Year candidate Tyus Jones.
“Tyus Jones loomed as a potential trade deadline target for this team. The same qualities that attracted the Lakers then could steer them back toward the floor general now. The 28-year-old, arguably the best unsigned player left, is one of the Association’s best decision-makers,” Buckley wrote on July 18.
Jones is a true point guard, someone who limits turnovers and passes at an elite level.
“For his career, he has more than 2,500 assists and fewer than 500 giveaways. He’s not just a passing specialist, though. He packs a decent—and efficient—scoring punch, too. He has posted career highs in each of the last three seasons, topping out (for now) this past season with an even 12 points per tilt to go along with a 48.9/41.4/80 shooting slash,” Buckley wrote.
People in NBA Circle Believe Lakers ‘Must Upgrade Their Roster to Have a Chance’
The Los Angeles Lakers are essentially bringing back the same team they had last season, which finished with the eighth-best record in the Western Conference. Their only additions have been drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, who likely won’t put them over the top.
And that’s an issue in the eyes of many in NBA circles.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, people around the league don’t think the Lakers have a chance to make a deep playoff run if they don’t upgrade the roster.
“What’s clear from Las Vegas, however, is that many in NBA circles believe the Lakers must upgrade their roster to have a chance at a deep playoff run,” Buha wrote on July 16.
“In polling more than a dozen front-office executives, coaches, scouts and agents attending the NBA Summer League, most pegged the Lakers as a likely Play-In team, with seeds ranging from fifth to 10th in the West.”
Would Jones Put Them Over the Top?
With a seemingly long way to go to compete with the top teams in the Western Conference, it’s tough to say that a backup point guard would put them in the mix.
However, Jones is one of the best backup point guards in the NBA and would better this roster.
His ability to hit from 3-point range at an above-average clip would be of help, too, as he shot 41.4% from 3-point range on 3.9 attempts per game last season.
They’re in a tough spot due to Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish opting into their second-year player options, but the Los Angeles Lakers could salary dump one of them in a trade.
If they were to dump one of them and add Jones, the Lakers would at least be moving in the right direction, but more would likely have to be done to consider them contenders.