Los Angeles Lakers’ Future Looking Bright

With eight games left in the regular season, the Los Angeles Lakers can look forward to the upcoming offseason. The Lakers will have six months to put together a competitive roster for the 2015/16 season, which will mark the 20th and likely final season in Kobe Bryant’s illustrious career.

The Lakers currently have a plethora of young players on the roster such as Jordan Clarkson, Ryan Kelly, Robert Sacre, Wayne Ellington, Ed Davis, Tarik Black, and Jabari Brown. Players have been given a chance to show their worth and audition for a roster spot for the upcoming season. Does each of the above-mentioned players deserve to be part of the future? Each player is making his case, but it will be up to Byron Scott, Jim Buss, and Mitch Kupchak to decide which players are worth bringing back.

Let us examine what each player has brought to the Lakers, and what their current contract situation is.

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Jordan Clarkson was the 46th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft but his current play is proving that he should have been picked in the first round. Having struggled to find any sort of playing time during the first two months of the season, season-ending injuries to Kobe Bryant and Ronnie Price having given Clarkson the opportunity to showcase he has what it takes to be the starting point guard.

Clarkson started the last 32 games and has averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game. Byron Scott threw him in the fire by starting him against high caliber point guards such as Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley Jr., and Damian Lillard. He certainly held his own and has shown he has what it takes to be a starter in the league. Clarkson walked away with the Western Conference Rookie of the Month award for March, a nice accomplishment for the young second rounder.

The Lakers have a team option on Clarkson, and it is likely they will exercise it as his contract is only worth $845,059. Is he the point guard of the future? He certainly has the work ethic and determination to be that player.

Ryan Kelly is having a rough year compared to his rookie season, as he is averaging 5.6 points, and 2.8 rebounds per game. To be fair to Kelly, Byron Scott has been experimenting Kelly at the small and power forward positions. Kelly has struggled to create plays for himself at the small forward position as he had to deal with players who were more athletic than him. Kelly is at his best when he can stretch the floor and be a spot-up shooter. Even though his shooting numbers are down from last season, Kelly has show flashes of being a consistent three-point shooter, as well as providing fans with some highlight dunks.

Kelly is under contract for the 2015/16 season, and it will be a contract year for him as he seeks a long-term deal with the Lakers.

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Robert Sacre was the 60th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. Sacre has managed to stay in the NBA despite his draft position, and the Lakers must see something in the 7-footer other teams don’t.

Sacre had his best season under coach Mike D’Antoni, as he averaged 5.4 points, and 3.9 rebounds per game. This year, Sacre is averaging 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds. Sacre has shown little improvement in his game as he lacks an arsenal of post-moves, and he is a weak rebounder for his size. He does play decent defense at times but for player who is 7 feet, he lacks in athleticism and strength on the boards.

The Lakers have a team option on Sacre and they would be wise not to exercise it. If they can get a solid big man through the draft, letting Sacre walk will not hurt the Lakers.

Wayne Ellington is having quite a journey in the NBA. The Lakers are his fifth team since entering the league in 2009. Ellington has been a pleasant surprise for Lakers fans, and he was a decent back up to Kobe Bryant before starting in his place due to season-ending injury.

Wayne Ellington is averaging 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Sadly, he will not finish out the season, as he too has been lost to a season-ending shoulder injury. Ellington has shown that he can be a good back up to Kobe Bryant, as he plays his heart out every single night. He also has improved his long-range shooting and his defense.

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Wayne Ellington will be a free agent on July 1, and Byron Scott said the Lakers will “absolutely” consider re-signing the shooting guard, but their primary focus will be on the NBA Draft and marquee free agents.

Ed Davis has been one of the most consistent players during this disastrous season. He is having a career year, posting averages of 8.3 points and 7.4 rebounds. Davis has also been the most active player defensively and leads the Lakers in blocks with 1.3 per game.

Ed Davis has a player option but will decline it with the hope of securing a long-term contract with the franchise:

“I’m hoping for a long-term deal. I’d love to return here. I know this will turn around eventually. This is definitely my first option. Hopefully I can stay here for the rest of my career”.

Davis has certainly made a strong first impression, and the Lakers would be wise to lock down the big man to a long-term deal.

Tarik Black started his NBA career with the Houston Rockets but was waived in order to make room for the signing of Josh Smith. Could the Lakers have found an energetic big man off the bench? During the last 10 games, Black is average 8.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. He still needs to develop an offensive post-game but it is defensively where Tarik can help the Lakers.

Tarik Black will be a free agent come July 1, 2015. Depending on the direction the Lakers take in the NBA draft and free agency, signing Tarik Black to be a back up big man may not be such a bad idea.

Jabari Brown is an undrafted rookie and an NBA D-League call up from the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Brown was first signed to a 10-day contract and has pleased management to offer him a second 10-day contract. Upon the expiration of his second contract, Brown was signed to a multi-year deal. His contract will only become partially guaranteed once he makes the final cut.

Each of the above-mentioned players has made a case to be part of the Lakers’ future. However, the direction the team takes during the draft and free agency will dictate whether we will see the players mentioned above on next season’s roster. The Lakers can have as many as four draft picks in 2015 including a top-5 draft choice plus ample cap space to sign an impact player or two. The future is looking bright.