LA Sports Hub
Fansided

Los Angeles Lakers: Role playing free agents to watch this offseason

By Jason Reed

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 10: Wayne Ellington #20 of the Detroit Pistons drives past Ryan Arcidiacono #51 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on March 10, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 10: Wayne Ellington #20 of the Detroit Pistons drives past Ryan Arcidiacono #51 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Little Caesars Arena on March 10, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

3. Dewayne Dedmon

We briefly mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers made the ridiculous decision of trading Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Clippers for Mike Muscala. We don’t really care about Beasley, as that opened a roster spot (that the team didn’t even use).

More from LA Sports Hub

The issue with that deal was Ivica Zubac. While Zubac is not a sensational talent, he was turning into quite the bench option that could realistically be a bench option on a title-contending team.

The logic seemingly was that the Lakers were not going to re-sign Zubac, who is a restricted free agent this offseason, even though he probably would not have gotten a big deal.

This makes no sense considering the Lakers have virtually nothing locked in at center next year. JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler are both free agents and Moritz Wagner hasn’t shown enough to rely on him.

The Lakers were going to have to spend anyways so the idea of trading Zubac was just absurd.

Now the Lakers have to go another route and the team should go with a player that would have a very similar impact as Zubac, Dewayne Dedmon. Dedmon could be a starter if the Lakers needed him too but at the very least he would be a very good bench option.

Dedmon has the size and wingspan to be a very successful big man in a LeBron James-led team. He would replace the interior defense of JaVale McGee and would rack up the blocks and would probably average a career-high in scoring because of LeBron’s ability to feed big men.

Things we have learned from Lakers missing playoffs. dark. Next

Either way, even if the team re-signs McGee to a veteran minimum, the front office is desperately going to need to add depth at center. Dedmon is a solid option to consider.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers