The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly held free-agent workouts with wings Tony Snell and Joe Wieskamp recently.
"I’m told the expectation is James will be out the next two Lakers games … The Lakers also (recently) held free-agent workouts with Joe Wieskamp and Tony Snell.”
NBA Insider @ShamsCharania has the latest on LeBron James’ status and the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/ZmCNqqI9dq
— The Rally (@TheRally) November 11, 2022
The Lakers are in desperate need of some help, specifically in the shooting department, after starting the 2022-23 season with a 2-9 record.
Snell and Wieskamp aren’t players that are going to make or break the Lakers’ season, but they could become solid contributors in limited roles for the team.
Snell, a proven veteran, played with the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers in the 2021-22 season. He averaged 3.5 points in 15.5 minutes per game across 53 games, making 12 starts.
Known for being a solid defender, Snell can also shoot the ball at a high level. He’s a career 39.4-percent shooter from beyond the arc, and he has four seasons in the NBA where he shot above 40.0 percent from deep.
Right now, the Lakers are experimenting with Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Lonnie Walker IV, Austin Reaves, Matt Ryan and others on the wing. Snell wouldn’t be a major upgrade, but it’s possible he could be more consistent than a few of those players.
As for Wieskamp, a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, he has just 29 NBA games to his name. While he’s not as experienced as Snell, Wieskamp made a name for himself at the University of Iowa as a knockdown shooter.
Over three collegiate seasons, Wieskamp shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 13.2 points per game.
For the San Antonio Spurs last season, Wieskamp shot 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and averaged 2.1 points in 7.1 minutes per game.
There isn’t going to be an easy fix to this Lakers roster, but it’s clear the team needs help on offense. Following Wednesday night’s action in the NBA, the Lakers are dead last in the league in offensive rating and 3-point percentage.
That simply isn’t going to cut it if the team wants to make the playoffs, and the Lakers would be wise to exhaust any avenue they have to get better with LeBron James still playing at a high level.
Los Angeles will look to get back in the win column on Friday when it takes on the Sacramento Kings at 7:30 p.m. PST.
