The Los Angeles Lakers are searching for a formidable backup at the point guard position. The team wants to bring in a veteran player that can help mentor rookie Lonzo Ball for at least one season and it appears the search has been narrowed down to only a handful of players.
According to Mark Medina of the OC Register, as many as six players are in contention for the backup point guard position in Los Angeles:
Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson said Wednesday he has narrowed in on “five or six candidates” for the team’s backup point-guard spot. Those candidates also include free agent Ian Clark and Tyler Ennis, sources said.
On Thursday, Derrick Rose emerged as an option for the Lakers with the veteran point guard still unsigned well into the free agency period. Rose played one season with the New York Knicks and had somewhat of a bounce back year posting solid numbers for head coach Jeff Hornacek.
Although Rose played well in New York, the veteran point guard has dealt with injury issues over the last few years as well as some off-the-court trouble which has presumably kept teams from offering more than a one-year deal to the former NBA MVP.
Along with Rose being a candidate for the Lakers, other notable names like Ian Clark, Tyler Ennis, Isaiah Canaan, Rodney Stuckey and Jordan Farmar have all been linked to the team recently.
Ennis, who was solid for the Lakers after being traded to Los Angeles by the Houston Rockets, was thought to have the edge in signing with the team but it appears Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are looking for a veteran presence making his return uncertain.