3 players the Lakers can target after waiving Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley
The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving Mo Bamba to increase their flexibility in free agency. Here are three players Rob Pelinka and the front office could target.
On the eve of free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers have the ability to open up both the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception by waiving Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley. Well, that’s exactly what they did.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers are waiving Bamba. The 25-year-old played nine games for Los Angeles after the trade deadline last season before getting hurt and spending the playoffs watching from the sidelines.
And, according to Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype, Beasley’s $16.5 million team option has also been declined.
Bamba still has value as a lanky rim protector who can shoot 3s, so expect his free agent market to heat up quickly. Beasley is a niche gunner with significant flaws, primarily on the defensive end, but any shooter of his caliber can get a new contract.
Meanwhile, the Lakers now turn to free agency, potentially with some extra cash in their pocket. Here are three players the team could target after clearing the books.
No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers free agent target: Shake Milton
There was a stretch last season during which Shake Milton started eight straight games while James Harden and Tyrese Maxey nursed injuries. Over that span, he averaged 21.3 points and 6.0 assists on 65.7 TS% in 38.0 minutes per game.
It felt like a watershed moment for Milton, who has spent his entire career to date in Philadelphia. A 6-foot-7 playmaking guard who can create his own shot and defend multiple positions, the idea of Milton has often been better than the actualized version of Milton. Last season, for a time at least, it felt like Milton was finally tapping into that upside.
Then Harden and Maxey returned, on top of De’Anthony Melton, and Milton was gradually squeezed out of the Sixers’ loaded guard rotation. He didn’t play a lick of important basketball in the postseason and he has spent his entire career making less than $2 million per season. He’s looking for a raise and an opportunity.
The Lakers might have too much guard depth for Milton’s taste, but frankly… they might not. All it takes is one irresponsible overpay to land Austin Reaves in San Antonio instead of Los Angeles. D’Angelo Russell has been shunned by the entire fanbase, Dennis Schroder is no savant, and Malik Beasley was just waived. There could be a genuine opportunity here for Milton to make some bank and earn real minutes for a contender.