Which Free Agents Should Lakers Retain?
Before they go chasing big name free agents this summer, the Lakers will have to take care of some in house cleaning.
Free agency is just days away and no one is in for a more underwhelming offseason than the Los Angeles Lakers. President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson has already said publicly that the Lakers don’t plan on being big players in free agency this summer, as they have their sights set on bigger fish like Paul George, LeBron James, DeMarcus Cousins and Russell Westbrook next summer.
However, the Lakers still need to take care of some business within the organization before they start filling out their 15-man roster in free agency. David Nwaba and Tarik Black both have non-guaranteed contracts next season that the Lakers need to decide on soon. They also have a few players entering unrestricted free agency.
In this article we’re going to break down who the Lakers should keep and who the Lakers should let walk. Because Black and Nwaba are not free agents yet, they are not on this list.
Metta World Peace (unrestricted)
After spending six years with the Lakers, the Metta World Peace era in Los Angeles has more than likely come to an end — again.
In a controversial move last summer, the Lakers cut second round pick Anthony Brown in just his second year with the organization to make room for longtime fan favorite Metta World Peace. On the court, there wasn’t a ton World Peace could do to contribute. Off the court, however, he provided the type of veteran leadership head coach Luke Walton was looking to surround his young roster with.
While he did appear in 25 games this past season, including two starts, it’s clear World Peace’s best days are behind him. If he’s brought back next season, it’s going to be for the same reason he was kept last season. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like he’s coming back.
“Magic [Johnson] said he was probably not going to bring me back,” World Peace said in his exit interview at the end of the season. “But it was good. I had a nice time.”
Before the start of last season, the Lakers reportedly expressed interest in bringing World Peace onto Walton’s coaching staff, but at the time World Peace wasn’t committed to retirement. If he’s changed his mind since, the Lakers would be smart to offer him a role with the team.
Verdict: Walk
Tyler Ennis (unrestricted)
In his second move as the Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations, Magic Johnson flipped 33-year-old Marcelo Huertas for 22-year-old Tyler Ennis. While it wasn’t a move that was going to move the needle, it gave the Lakers a chance to take a look at someone who could still blossom into a productive NBA player given the right opportunity.
A third-year guard out of Syracuse, Ennis has struggled to find consistent playing time with the now four teams he has suited up for. In his first three years in the league, Ennis had to battle for playing time with Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, Brandon Knight, Michael Carter-Williams, Patrick Beverly and James Harden.
With the Lakers, Ennis was able to show a little bit of what he brings to the table. In his last 10 games with the Lakers, Ennis averaged 11.6 points on 42.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals. While it might not have been enough to secure a multi-year deal with the team, it at the very least earned him a training camp invite.
If Ennis shows enough during preseason, it could be enough to earn him a spot on the roster. With D’Angelo Russell out of the picture, the Lakers’ depth at point guard is paper thin. It could get even more sparse if the Lakers decide to ship Jordan Clarkson in a deal for Paul George before the start of the season.
Ennis shouldn’t be the Lakers’ first choice in free agency, though, with names like Darren Collison and Patty Mills also set to hit the open market. However, Ennis will come a lot cheaper than both aforementioned players. Per The Vertical’s Bobby Marks, the most the Lakers can offer Ennis in free agency is $2.6 million. In the unlikely event a team offers him more, L.A. will be alright.
Verdict: Keep
Thomas Robinson (unrestricted)
Going into last summer, Thomas Robinson was given no guarantees of an NBA future. In fact, he wasn’t offered a spot on the Lakers’ training camp roster until he one day started showing up to voluntary team workouts. A couple of impressive preseason showings later and Robinson earned a spot on the Lakers’ roster.
In his first season with the Lakers, Robinson showed flashes of what made him a highly-touted prospect coming out of college. He’s a stellar athlete and has a nose for grabbing rebounds. In fact, Robinson averaged 14.3 rebounds and 15.5 points Per 36 minutes, the best Per 36 stats of his career. Those numbers put him alongside Andre Drummond, Hassan Whiteside, Dwight Howard, Alan Williams and Per 36 minutes God Boban Marjanovic.
The only problem is, no team is going to play Robinson 36 minutes a game. He’d be fortunate to sniff 20 at this point in his career. For as physically gifted as he is, Robinson lacks an elite level, specialized NBA skill. Without that, he is going to keep bouncing around the league, until he eventually falls out.
Thomas Robinson is never going to live up to his hype as the fifth overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft and that’s okay. He doesn’t need to. Not on this team, at least. But if he wants to stick around the Association, he’s going to need to get better.
Verdict: Walk
Nick Young (unrestricted)
If you’re one of the few people banking on Nick Young taking a hometown discount this summer to stay with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, I hate to be the one to break it to you: he’s not coming back.
Coming off a career year with the purple and gold, Young declined his $5.66 million player option on Thursday with the hopes of securing a long-term, big money deal with a playoff contender and with the numbers he put up last season, there’s a good chance he gets it.
Young was one of six players to shoot above 40 percent from behind the arc while attempting at least seven 3-pointers per game. The other guys? Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, Kyle Lowry and Ryan Anderson.
In a league where shooting is a highly coveted skill, Young is going to get paid well. The Lakers could try and re-sign him, but with the front office allegedly dedicated to the team’s young core, Young would be better off going where the money is. At 32 years old, it could be his last chance to cash in on a decent sized contract.
Verdict: Walk
