Los Angeles Lakers: Post-deadline buyout candidates

1. Kent Bazemore

Kent Bazemore was part of a relatively quiet trade before the deadline where he was traded from the Portland Trailblazers to the Sacramento Kings. The key part of the trade was the money it freed up for the Trailblazers, as they traded multiple players and two second-round picks for a return that was nothing special.

The Kings now have Bazemore and while he is a new face in Sacramento I would not expect him to stick around for the entire season. While he certainly could, there really is no reason for the Kings to hold onto Bazemore, especially if they are not in contention for the playoffs.

The Kings are only three games back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but they are the 12th seed. All it takes is one bad stretch for the Kings to fall out of contention.

With Bazemore being a free agent, the Kings can save a bit of money and do him a favor, paving way for the Lakers to make a signing.

Bazemore has not been much of an offensive threat this season but he did average double-digit points the previous four years. The one offensive hole is his three-point shooting, as he has only had one season in his career in which he shot better than 37 percent.

The important part of Bazemore’s game is his defense. With his long frame, Bazemore is an above-average defender that would give the Lakers a second good wing defender alongside Danny Green, which will be important in the playoffs.