In fairness, Jordan Hill made a strong impact with the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly during his last two seasons with the club. The 27-year-old is coming off a campaign in which he averaged 12 points, 7.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 26.8 minutes per contest. Though he failed to offer elite rim protection, Hill did enough to earn himself another contract next season.
It probably won't be with the Lakers, though. Per RealGM's Shams Charania, "The Los Angeles Lakers have informed Jordan Hill they will not pick up his $9 million team option, league source tells RealGM."
The Sporting News' Sean Deveney noted that "Hill will command interest among teams looking for a big man, but he was not worth the massive contract the Lakers gave him largely as a trade-enabler last season."
In theory, Hill could return to the organization at a lower rate, but L.A. almost certainly has bigger plans. The Lakers have been linked to Sacramento Kings star center DeMarcus Cousins, per the Los Angeles Daily News (h/t SI.com), but the two sides haven't agreed on a deal just yet. Unless something comes to fruition in fairly short order, L.A. may be forced to address its needs at the 5 via free agency.
Fortunately, it should have some options. The crop of free-agent big men is better than it's been in some time, and the Lakers have money to spend—certainly enough to land a premier player given the few contracts presently on the books.
Here's a look at the organization's free-agent options at center. The potential targets are ranked by virtue of both fit and the actual likelihood that they land with the Lakers.
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
