The two key cogs remaining—Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash—want to cap their respective careers by winning a championship. That can’t happen without a lot of help. So where do the Lakers go from here?
They only have three players on guaranteed contracts for next season and one pick in the 2014 NBA draft (No. 7 overall). Bryant likely won’t tolerate another campaign spent toiling near the bottom of the Western Conference, but general manager Mitch Kupchak doesn’t have great options.
Short of convincing a star free agent to join forces with an aging backcourt—unlikely—the Lakers will have a hard time competing.
Keeping valuable cap space available for the summer of 2015 should be a priority. So what free agents would be deemed value signings for L.A. as we near an enigmatic offseason?
Steve Blake, PG, Unrestricted
Veteran point guard Steve Blake was experiencing one of the best seasons of his professional career with the Lakers prior to being dealt to the Golden State Warriors at the deadline.
In 27 games played for L.A. (all starts), the Maryland product averaged 9.5 points and a career-best 7.6 assists to accompany 39.7 percent shooting from long range.
His success both as a scorer and as a distributor can be tied to Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system. Still, it was impressive to see the 34-year-old play at such a high level regardless.
The Dubs hoped that the new addition would help shore up their backup point guard spot and aid them during a deep playoff run. Instead, Blake struggled to find a rhythm in the new environment and Golden State fell in the first round of the postseason.
Now, Blake will become an unrestricted free agent. At the very least, L.A.&rs...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
