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NBA Free Agency 2017: 5 offseason targets for the Los Angeles Lakers

By Brendon Kleen

Mar 24, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the second half of a NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA: Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with Lakers forward Brandon Ingram (14) during the second half of a NBA game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington (2) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers guard DeAndre Liggins (14) during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington (2) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers guard DeAndre Liggins (14) during the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

4. DeAndre Liggins, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers

In most NBA offenses, space and shooting go hand-in-hand. Playing several efficient shooters in a lineup requires the defense to play the perimeter more tightly, leaving room in the middle of the court for driving and cutting. If a coach is forced to put less-talented shooters on the court because of their value in other situations, the offense gets more cluttered. There are ways around this, such as an offensive player who struggles to shoot developing into a better cutter or passer to make the defense give him more respect, but overall, putting shooters on the court is the easiest path toward efficient offense. This is why smart offensive minds like Luke Walton value it so highly.

It is also the exact reason that you rarely see a player like DeAndre Liggins on a team run by an offensive maven like Walton. Last season, Walton’s guard rotation featured Jordan Clarkson, D’Angelo Russell, Tyler Ennis and Lou Williams. As far as value goes for young players, that’s a tremendous group of shooting and passing guards. The problem was Los Angeles’ defense, which was the league’s worst. We can already see the Lakers reacting to this problem in their trade of Russell. Their next move could be to bring in better defensive talent for the backcourt rotation.

That’s where Liggins could come in, a 29-year-old who might be on his last NBA legs. He looked to have finally caught on with Cleveland last season after playing a big role in their Christmas Day victory over the Warriors, but was eventually waived by the team toward the end of the year. Liggins also played on the 2012-13 Thunder team that lost in the second round of the playoffs after Russell Westbrook went down. Good teams seem to want this guy for his on-ball defense, but he’s never become well-rounded enough to stick in any city.

Los Angeles can afford to give him a chance on a minimum or partially-guaranteed deal. He wouldn’t be a priority in the rotation, but Liggins could help the team slink back toward respectability on defense. Though Russell was clearly a negative on that end, Ball doesn’t project to be much better in his rookie season. Clarkson is not the answer. Just as with Lopez, the team may not be interested in playing Brewer too many minutes on this young team. I could see the Lakers trying Liggins for a few minutes per game early in the season just to see what he might offer. He’s a guy that always feels on the precipice of breaking through into the NBA.

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