Beefing up their frontline, the Los Angeles Lakers could perhaps roll the dice on former top-pick Andrea Bargnani, who provides outside shooting and floor spacing to any team and can be had at a bargain price.
More than a week into the free-agency period, Bargnani is still available on the market. It's no surprise the former no.1 overall pick can't land an NBA contract up to this point after coming off two horrible seasons in New York. But with several teams looking to add depth to their frontline, the Italian may still suit it up with an NBA team next season.
Bargnani, averaging 15.0 points and 4.8 rebounds over his nine year career via NBA/Stats, had a whirlwind couple of seasons with the Knicks.
Traded by the Raptors in exchange for three journeymen (Marcus Camby, Quentin Richardson and Steve Novak) and three future draft picks (2016 first pick and two second-rounders), the 7-foot sweet-shooting bigman was touted as the missing piece to take the Knicks to the next level following their second-round stint in the playoffs the previous year.
Bargnani, unfortunately, never lived up to the hype as the Knicks missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Although he still averaged at least 14 points and 5 boards during his two-year stay in the Big Apple, Bargnani played just 71 regular-season games with a myriad of injuries keeping him on the sideline for most of the time.
But still any seven-footer with a 36 percent clip from beyond the arc has to be on an NBA team next season. In this era where floor spacing is given more emphasis, Bargnani's ability to stretch out the defense at the four spot is a valuable commodity for any team.
Why the Lakers should bring in Bargnani?
With the acquisition of Roy Hibbert via the trade, the Lakers finally addressed a glaring hole at the center position after forcing power forwards Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill to man the interior the past two years.
While Hibbert is not much known for his scoring (11.1 points over a seven-year career), the two-time All-Star is a pretty decent scorer on the block, especially if he's given enough space to operate. Both Brandon Bass and Julius Randle have solid mid-range jumpers, but Bargnani has way longer range and better accuracy on his three-ball.
Bargnani will be a liability on the defensive end of the floor. Last season, he allowed his man to shot 53 percent from the field. On the other hand, the Italian's true shooting percentage of 52 percent means he's an efficient scorer for a guy who usually jacks up threes and mid-range jumpers.
To maximize Hibbert's height and length advantage, bringing in a stretch four like Bargnani is necessary for the Lakers. His durability will always be an issue, though it's hard to ignore the impact he could make on the floor alongside the 7-foot-2 big man. He can be a low-risk, high-reward gamble for the Lakers on a veteran minimum price tag.