The end of the Kobe Bryant era saw them play some of the poorest basketball in the NBA, as they finished the season with an embarrassing 17-65 record. The only thing that kept them from having the worst record in the Association was the pitiful Philadelphia 76ers (10-72).
The Lakers are trying to rebuild; it started with drafting Duke small forward Brandon Ingram and has continued with the addition of a couple of role-playing veterans.
They signed center Timofey Mozgov of the Cleveland Cavaliers to a four-year, $64 million deal at the start of free agency.
They also brought in veteran Luol Deng, who agreed to a four-year, $72 million deal, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania.
Neither free-agent signing is likely to turn the Lakers into a winning team. Mozgov did little with the Cavs during their championship run, while the 31-year-old Deng is a solid but unspectacular player who averaged 12.3 points per game in 2015-16 for the Miami Heat.
The Lakers are not done in free agency, but they do not appear to be in the market for any major players.
They might have a chance to add Moe Harkless of the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. They are in competition with the Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz for the 6'9" small forward. Harkless averaged 6.4 points per game and 3.6 rebounds during the regular season, but he was more effective in the postseason.
Harkless averaged 11 points and added 5.1 rebounds in 11 playoff games, which could indicate an improvement is at hand.
The Lakers are also in the running for restricted free agent Tyler Zeller of the Boston Celtics. The 7'0", 253-pound 26-year-old has spent two seasons in Boston after spending his first two years in Cleveland. He averaged 6.1...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
