Why in the world are the Lakers working out Kenneth Faried?
The Lakers are working out free agent Kenneth Faried, and many are wondering why?
The Los Angeles Lakers are continuing their pursuit of veteran free agents by bringing in Kenneth Faried for a workout. The 31-year old, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2018-19 season, is years removed from his ‘Manimal’ days.
Free agent big man Kenneth Faried is working out for the Lakers this week, a league source told @TheAthleticNBA.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 13, 2021
He most recently played three games with the Portland Trail Blazers summer league team, averaging 5.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 1 steal in his 18.6 minutes a game.
How does Kenneth Faried fit the Lakers?
If any teams saw promise in the film and wanted to give him a shot, the Lakers would be one of the least likely, considering their roster. They of course have Anthony Davis, brought Dwight Howard back again, and recently signed DeAndre Jordan.
They also should have learned from last season that having too many big men can lead to internal issues like discontent amongst players. That is what happened with Marc Gasol and Montrezl Harrell when they weren’t satisfied with their roles.
Ultimately, he just isn’t a great fit considering their current roster makeup. If they were going to roll the dice on anyone, it should be someone who could provide them more perimeter shooting, not another rim-runner.
Maybe the team just wanted to get a closer look at Faried for emergency situations or have an interest in him for a two-way deal. We will see how the situation unfolds.