As we near towards the beginning of the NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers roster is basically set. While the roster may not be perfect, the mix of talented youth and savvy veterans with LeBron James should make for a competitive and entertaining group.
Recently, the Lakers finally managed to part ways with Luol Deng and his four-year contract by agreeing to a buyout and waiving the veteran forward via the stretch provision. Beyond shedding salary, the Lakers now are left with an roster spot.
While the timeline of it is unclear, the Lakers reportedly were among teams to have had interest in free agent Jamal Crawford, as relayed by Marc J. Spears on ESPN’s “The Jump:”
“I just got a text from him. He said, ‘Nothing yet.’ But he’s had some interest from the Lakers, had some interest from the Sixers, has some from Golden State. Although, I don’t know that the Golden State thing will be there with Patrick McCaw coming back.”
Crawford, now 37 years of age, is coming off one of his least-productive years. However, this is largely due to his wildly minimized role with the starter heavy Minnesota Timberwolves. Crawford played the fewest minutes per game of his career since his rookie season, and averaged just 10.3 points.
There have been numerous options discussed with respect to what the Lakers should do with their 15th roster spot. Looking at the roster, it’s clear the two biggest needs are shooting and big men. The market is extremely dry this summer, which led to speculation of a possible Chris Bosh comeback.
However, the likeliest scenario, as explained by general manager Rob Pelinka, is that the Lakers will leave the roster spot open because of the versatility it allows for.
No matter what the Lakers choose to do, the idea of Crawford joining the team could remain an option through the beginning of the season.
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