Lost in the midst of the upcoming NBA Draft and the ongoing coaching search, the Lakers have a lot of players who are free agents. Many young players made a mark with the team and no one knows who will stay and who will go.
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Much of the focus has been on Nick Young and with good reason as he was the team’s leading scorer last season. But another bright spot was Kent Bazemore, who was brought in mid-season and immediately made an impact.
Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler reports that the team likes the third-year guard, and are likely to bring him back next year:
The Lakers are very high on Bazemore. His offer sheet is very nominal, so it’s expected they will issue it and lock up his rights. It will become interesting if another team offers a multi-year deal. The Lakers likely match it, but if someone starts to nip at the Lakers cap space it is unclear how committed to Bazemore they really are.
Bazemore was an integral part of the Lakers down the stretch and showed great scoring ability in addition to very solid defense. With him being so young and flashing so much potential, it makes sense that the Lakers would be interested in him returning.
At the end of the day, everything comes down to the price the team will have to pay. With big decisions looming on players like Young, Pau Gasol, and Jodie Meeks among others, the Lakers are going to be very smart about where they place their money.
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