After striking out on their top priorities, the Los Angeles Lakers turned their focus towards solid, proven veterans who could fit in well with the young core the Lakers are developing. The team traded for center Roy Hibbert and signed guard Lou Williams as well as power forward Brandon Bass.
The Lakers also tried to give their shooting a boost as they were reportedly one of many teams to offer a contract to sharpshooter, Marco Belinelli according to Dario Vismara of Rivista NBA:
Belinelli would ultimately sign a three-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, but he would have been an excellent pickup for the Lakers had he decided to come to Los Angeles. The Lakers were one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league and Belinelli would have been perfect to come in and stretch the floor.
A career 39 percent shooter from deep, Belinelli won the 2014 NBA Three-Point Shooting competition while averaging 11.4 points for the San Antonio Spurs championship team. He is also a solid ball-handler who can get to the basket and finish as well as create for others.
As it stands now, the Lakers still lack in the three-point shooting department. The team’s best hope for a knockdown shooter is probably Nick Young, but he was extremely inconsistent last season. Rookie D’Angelo Russell struggled to get his shot going during Summer League as well. Players like Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, and Lou Williams can all knock down open threes, but wouldn’t be classified as the pure shooters the Lakers need.
