4 players the Lakers can sign not named Draymond Green or Austin Reaves
By Ian Levy
Sleeper free-agent targets for the Lakers: 3. Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith Jr., through circumstance and the allure of ring chasing in a Lakers’ uniform, is another target they might be able to sneak in with the bi-annual exception on a two-year, $8 million deal. He was the No. 9 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft but mostly fell off the NBA radar, working through a variety of injuries and playing in just 94 games total in the three full seasons after he was traded from the Mavericks to the Knicks.
However, Smith Jr. had something of a renaissance last season coming off the Hornets’ bench. He again worked through injury, but played 54 games, the most since his rookie season. In just over 25 minutes per game, he averaged 8.8 points, 4.8 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals. His outside shooting still leaves a lot to be desired but he’s become a tenacious defender at the point of attack and found a way to consistently use his athleticism to get into the teeth of the defense, scoring at the basket or creating openings for others.
His shooting numbers look rough — 21.6 percent from beyond the arc and 26.7 percent on long 2s — but he was in a rough offensive situation in Charlotte. Smith Jr. shot 66.4 percent around the basket and better shot selection and more gravity from his teammates could make help push his 3-point percentages towards respectability. He doesn’t have the explosive scoring potential of D’Angelo Russell but he’d be a cheap and potentially much more well-rounded option off the bench at point guard.