With Xavier Henry officially out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon, and the Lakers lacking reliable perimeter defenders in a group that includes Kobe Bryant, Wayne Ellington, Nick Young and Wes Johnson, an injection of two-way competency is sorely needed.
The Lakers could especially use a bit of positional versatility when it comes to the two forward spots, considering Julius Randle is sidelined for the remainder of the season and Ryan Kelly is slated to miss more than a month with a tear in his hamstring.
Fortunately, reinforcements may soon be on the way.
According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are closing in on a one-year agreement with swingman Earl Clark:
Per Wojnarowski:
Clark has averaged 29 points per game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League, and the eventual finalization of a deal could bring Clark back to the Lakers in the next few days, sources said.
Clark, of course, is familiar with the Lakers after he parlayed a successful 2012-13 campaign into a two-year, $9 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers two summers ago. That stretch didn't last long, though, after Clark was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually waived before joining the New York Knicks on a pair of 10-day contracts and eventually linking up with the D-League circuit.
Appearing in 59 games (36 starts) with the Lakers, Clark proved capable of slotting in as either a 3 or 4, crashing the boards and providing a spark in transition while knocking down the occasional three.
So with the 6'10'' journeyman on the cusp of returning to Hollywood, it's time to examine how Clark can piece together another prosperous stint in Tinseltown.
Offense...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
