NBA Free Agency 2016: Power Ranking Day 1 signings
By Mark Gunnels
Truthfully, this deal could’ve been a lot worse from a numbers standpoint, but when it comes to ‘Lakers Nation’, they will never be satisfied.
Former Cleveland Cavaliers big man, Timofey Mozgov, agreed to a four-year deal worth $64 million.
From a pure basketball perspective, this move makes all the sense in the world. Last season, the Lakers interior presence was pretty much non-existent. With Mozgov in the fold, he gives Los Angeles a legit seven-footer, who is capable of scoring with his back to the basket and is able to provide some rim protection in the middle.
In that same breath, Mozgov was keeping the bench warm for Cleveland this past season, as he only averaged 17.4 minutes per game.
While Mozgov wasn’t a good for Cleveland, it doesn’t mean things can’t workout in Los Angeles. Let’s not forget how big of a factor Mozgov was in the finals last year when both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were out.
During the 2015 NBA Finals, Mozgov averaged 17 and 8.
But none of those numbers will matter if he doesn’t perform at a high level in front of ‘Lakers Nation’ in Staples Center.
Next: 10. Joakim Noah to New York