While the 11-win Lakers seem more about Kobe Bryant's retirement than anything else, behind the scenes it's clear that general manager Mitch Kupchak and others continue to work the phones and ponder ways to better position themselves for next summer.
Next summer, as in the summer of Kevin Durant, and maybe Dwight Howard and others.
Here's the latest on the Lakers, who have the future on their minds while celebrating with Bryant one last time.
Out with the old
Anyone who looks at the Lakers roster knows the team has plenty of middling veterans who could depart for the right price.
The team has Brandon Bass at power forward, a guy who was an odd addition for a team most expected would wind up tanking this year. He's not a bad player by any means, but averages of 6.2 points and 4.2 rebounds this year on less than 20 minutes per game—while taking playing time from Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle—isn't cutting it.
Keeping this under the basket for a moment, there is also center Roy Hibbert, yet another odd fit. He's managing just 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds on 24.4 minutes per night and is one of the focuses of a write-up by ESPN.com's Marc Stein which details players who sound like salary dumps or eventual buyouts before the deadline:
Ditto for the Los Angeles Lakers and a number of veterans on their roster: Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass, Nick Young and Lou Williams. We should note, however, that Hibbert possesses the only expiring contract in that quartet. Bass holds a $3.1 million player option for next season.
Lou Williams is another name blocking playing time. Now 29 years old, Williams is only shoot...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
