NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason needs for the Los Angeles Lakers
By Connor Learn
4. The Lakers should cut ties with certain veterans
Veterans were nearly completely out of the rotation by the end of the Lakers’ season. Coach Luke Walton started playing the players who will make up the future of the franchise once they were out of playoff contention. Timofey Mozgov mostly stopped playing by February, Jose Calderon and Lou Williams were gone by then, Luol Deng was done by March, and then Nick Young was done by mid-March. The Lakers’ young players would benefit from more of this in the 2017-18 season.
There will be a handful of vets back next season. It may be impossible to trade Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng given their contracts. Deng’s deal shouldn’t be too much of an issue, however, until Brandon Ingram needs to be extended. Plus he is a good locker room presence. Mozgov’s deal will haunt them into 2020. Any possible trade for either should be aggressively pursued. Ditto for Corey Brewer, who has one year and $7.6 million left on his deal. Brewer may be kept, as he emerged as a leader once he was acquired from Houston and knows his role.
Some other veterans won’t be back in Los Angeles next season. Nick Young has a player option for $5.66 million for next season; he played well enough this season where he’s likely to opt out. Rookie David Nwaba flashed in Young’s role, and the Lakers don’t need to re-sign the nearly 32-year-old. 37-year-old Metta World Peace’s NBA playing career is probably over: he recently re-enrolled in college and won’t be back to the Lakers. Thomas Robinson’s deal is up as well. There will be different faces in the locker room next season which should help make room for the young guys to play heavy minutes.