The Los Angeles Lakers just need to fill in few spots before completing the full roster for the 2016-17 NBA season. While there are some prospects in the Summer League worthy of consideration, there are still a handful of solid free-agents available in the market. One name that stands above the rest is Gerald Green,
Surprisingly, Green has remained unsigned up to this point of free-agency. The 9-year veteran swingman spent the 2015-16 season with the Miami Heat, averaging 8.9 points in 22 minutes of playing action.
The Heat sparingly used him during the playoffs, as he averaged just 3.3 points per game. His best output in the postseason was a 16-point explosion in the Heat's series-clinching victory over the Charlotte Hornets in Game 7 of their first-round series.
Why the Lakers should pursue Green?
The Lakers bolstered their wing this offseason with the selection of Brandon Ingram (the no.2 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft) and the signing of veteran small forward Luol Deng (four-year, $72 million deal). Still, the Lakers could still add another wingman, especially the likes of Green who can play at least three positions.
With the arrival of Luke Walton as head coach, the Lakers are expected to field a small but highly explosive line-up. The Warriors' emergence as a perennial superpower has banked on position-less basketball, a hoops philosophy Walton will impose during his coaching tenure.
Green, who averaged 10.0 points throughout his career, is more than just a human highlight reel the past few seasons. He has become a legit three-point shooter, boasting a solid 36 percent clip beyond the three-point arc.
In an offense predicated on three-point shooting, versatility and speed (on the open court), Green should be a nice component for the Lakers for the coming season. Of course, Lakers mainstays like Nick Young and Lou Williams are expected to get most of the minutes off the bench, but Green has a shot to get a fair playing time, more so if he's able to play well at the power forward spot in a small ball lineup.