Are the Lakers missing out on the “buy-out” class of 2010?
They’re a lucrative bunch of guys these buy-outs. They fell from the good graces of their respective rotations, have had so-so years and now all of a sudden they’re the final pieces to a championship puzzle? Don’t kid yourself. If they were that great, their coaches would have found a way to plug them into the lineup.
Corey Brewer is probably the best of the bunch, but he’s young and may not want to take a seat on the bench like a veteran would. Then there’s the all-important money factor. A guy like Brewer will try and get a multi-year deal somewhere around the $2 million per year range and the Lakers just don’t have that to spare.
Other options include Mike Bibby, Troy Murphy, Eddy Curry and Carlos Arroyo. Bibby is Miami bound and Murphy is about to sign with Boston. Don’t give Eddy Curry a second look—he’s only on the list because he’s a buy-out—not because he’s applicable. Carlos Arroyo makes some sense as a back-up to both Derek Fisher and Steve Blake, but he’d have to learn the triangle. As a few guys on the team could attest to, that’s easier said than done.
For better or worse, the Lakers squad you see is the squad you get. The core players who were involved in obtaining the Lakers’ last two titles are all still there and that’s not bad. There’s no point in compromising team chemistry to take a risk on someone that may not even make an impact.