Lakers Rumors: Brandon Bass Will Decline Player Option, Become Free Agent
Lakers Nation Roundtable: Which Veteran Is Most Likely To Be Traded?
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

On a Los Angeles Lakers team with a number of inconsistent young players, veteran power forward Brandon Bass stood out as one of the most reliable players on the roster.

Whether playing out of position at center or at his normal power forward spot, the Lakers could always count on Bass to play hard, rebound, and knock down open shots. As an 11-year veteran, however, it likely hurt Bass to be playing on a 17 win Lakers team.

Bass has said previously that he was unsure whether or not he would pick up his player option this off-season, but according to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com Bass will decline the option, making him an unrestricted free agent:

Bass’ decision isn’t too surprising as his option was only for $3.1 million next season and it is very likely that he could make more than that as a free agent this summer, especially with the salary cap set to rise.

Declining his option doesn’t mean that Bass wouldn’t return to the Lakers, and he has said that he enjoys Los Angeles, but he wants to explore his options and in this financial landscape it makes sense for him to do so.

Bass’ numbers were down this season, averaging only 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, but he shot a career-high 54.9 percent from the field. Players like Bass, who are athletic, play hard, and hit jumpers will always be a commodity in the NBA.

You May Also Like

Lakers News: Manny Harris Expected To Play Against Celtics

With Nick Young suspended for Friday’s game against the Boston Celtics due…

Lakers Trainer Gunnar Peterson Made Adjustments With Lonzo Ball Because Of Injuries

Throughout the 2017-18 NBA season, much of the attention was on Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball was…

My Time is Now – Lamar Odom

From the perspective of a professional athlete, flying under the radar and…

Emmanuel Mudiay On Lakers: ‘I’d Love To Be A Part Of Something Like This’

After having dinner with the basketball operations department of the Los Angeles…