The Los Angeles Lakers aren't very good right now. Yes, they're 13-11 and well within range of a good seed in the Western Conference, but no, they're not very good. Any fan that has watched them get run out of the building in three of their last four games could tell you that.
There are still 58 games left in the regular season, and if the Lakers keep playing like this for that entire time, Lakers fans are not going to have a lot of fun between now and Dodgers season. So what can the team do about it?
The simplest option is to just play better. LeBron James has been in a slump, Anthony Davis has fallen off from his early season MVP-like pace, and as a result, the team has cratered. If their stars play better, wins will follow.
That's easier said than done, especially for two players (LeBron in particular) that are getting on in years. Another option is for JJ Redick to work some coaching magic. While it's possible and even likely that a promising first-year coach will learn on the job and adjust to his roster, the chances of Redick covering for the Lakers' glaring deficiencies simply through the power of X's and O's is undeniably low.
That leaves door number three, which is to get new players. General manager Rob Pelinka didn't do much to shake up the roster this summer, but he hasn't been afraid to make a splash at the trade deadline.
Trades will inevitably happen in the next two months. Today, though, we're looking at another way the Lakers can remake their roster. The free agent market is certainly more robust in the offseason as stars and major names become available, but there are quality NBA-level players out there right now just waiting for an opportunity. The Lakers could use some fresh blood, so signing one or two to address some needs would be smart.
While fans shouldn't expect the team to turn things around simply from an in-season free agent signing or two, these moves could be quite valuable if handled correctly. Let's look at three options that could help the Lakers right now.
We said up top that the Lakers are not very good right now, and the biggest reason is that they are soft. Anytime the Lakers fall behind, they fall apart, and it's been excruciating to watch. JJ Redick has had to call his team out for a lack of effort on several occasions. That's unacceptable. This is a roster that needs some toughness, both mentally and physically.
Enter Marcus Morris. The 13-year vet isn't going to make L.A.'s wizened roster any younger, but he's also not going to accept being on a team that quits at the first sign of adversity. Morris is as tough as they come, and his 76 games of playoff experience will carry a lot of weight with a roster that, outside of LeBron and Davis, haven't done much in this league.
Morris will hold everyone accountable, and that's what the Lakers need. Is anyone going to go at LeBron because he's walking back on defense? Not that I've seen, but I'll bet Morris would.
If all the Lakers needed was someone to yell and threaten people, they could get all of that by signing R. Lee Ermey's Gunnery Sergeant Hartman from Full Metal Jacket. Morris can help on the floor too, with tough defense and an ability to knock down an open three. He's a 37.7 percent shooter from deep in his career, and with Davis and LeBron soaking up all of the defense's attention, he'll have plenty of open looks.
JJ Redick's decision to send D'Angelo Russell to the bench and put the ball in LeBron's hands more often paid immediate dividends. LeBron was putting up a triple-double every night, Russell was thriving in his new bench role and the Lakers were winning. Lately though, it's clear that this isn't a move that can work long-term.
LeBron is an athletic marvel, but his body can't handle as much as it used to. All the high-usage minutes have started to take a toll on him, and his play has really suffered as a result. His turnovers are up, his shooting is down and the Lakers have fallen off a cliff.
Russell's name has been in trade talks since the moment he signed his extension this summer, making it unlikely that he'll regain his starting gig on a full-time basis. Frankly it would be shocking if he didn't get traded before February's deadline. What then can the Lakers do to keep LeBron at full strength?
Markelle Fultz is an intriguing option. Many fans associate Fultz with the shooting yips or the fact that he was drafted over Jayson Tatum, but he's rebounded from his younger struggles to become a serviceable NBA player.
Fultz spent five year in Orlando before becoming a free agent, and he did some good things in his time there. He can't shoot a lick from outside, but he can slash and get to the rim, and he put up four straight seasons with more than five assists per game.
The Magic have one of the most improved rosters in the NBA in the last couple years. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have become studs, and Jalen Suggs' increased offensive capacity to complement his always-ferocious defense has made him indispensable. Suggs' ascendance made Fultz expendable, but he could certainly help the Lakers.
Bringing in Fultz would make it easier to trade Russell for frontcourt help, and it would take the ball out of LeBron's hands so that the King could get through the season in one piece. Fultz's lack of three-point shooting isn't ideal, but despite being inept from outside, he still shot over 47 percent from the floor overall in each of the past three seasons. That's pretty good for a guard, and with LeBron, Davis, Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht around him, Fultz will be better served finding his open teammates instead of hoisting it himself, anyway..
Fultz also played his college ball at Washington, but has always been on the East Coast since turning pro. Maybe a change of scenery out West is what he needs.
There are no free agents out there right now that could reasonably be expected to come in and be one of the best players on the team. If there were, they'd have been signed already by someone else.
Signing a player more than 20 games into the season is about improving on the margins. Best case scenario, that new player brings something to the table that the team sorely needs. To that end, Nassir Little could be a worthwhile flier for the Lakers.
Little has had a pretty nondescript career since being taken with the 25th overall pick in the 2019 draft. He's never averaged 10 points per game, and only once in his career has he averaged more than 20 minutes.
Little spent his first four years in Portland, then played a season in Phoenix as a little-used reserve. Still, he has some traits that the Lakers covet. L.A. badly needs an injection of athleticism. Little is a high-riser that can get up and down the court. The Lakers need switchable bodies on defense that can help put an end to the deluge of points they give up every night. Little is 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan. He's a willing and capable defender, and can help cover for Russell and Knecht when they headline bench units.
The Lakers need to get younger, and Little is still only 24. He hasn't totally found his game yet, but learning from vets like LeBron and Davis could help him reach a new level.
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