- Rudy Gobert indicates that him having pity on Anthony Davis was turning point for Wolves losing to Lakers
- Darvin Ham gives immediate update on Anthony Davis’ ankle injury
- D’Angelo Russell credits Minnesota for helping him figure out his life outside of basketball
- Jay Williams would take the Lakers over the Warriors to win the Western Conference
- LeBron James makes it clear he won’t pay to be verified before Elon Musk’s latest Twitter rule takes effect
- Isiah Thomas believes top 7 teams in West ‘fear’ LeBron James and Lakers
- Former NBA player on the Lakers win over the Bulls: ‘That is a team last night that can win a world championship’
- LaVar Ball explains why he believes Bronny James should never play college basketball
- LeBron James seemingly brings up Austin Reaves throwing shade at him back in Miami Heat days
- Kyle Kuzma cooks Patrick Beverley after he says Clippers would’ve won title over Lakers in 2020 if not for bubble
Report: Lakers plan to pursue ‘3-and-D wing’ with their final roster spot
- Updated: March 29, 2021
With one final roster spot left to fill, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly pursuing the acquisition of a wing player with both long-range shooting and defensive ability, otherwise known as a “3-and-D” player.
Jovan Buha and Jared Weiss of The Athletic looked at how the Lakers’ signing of center Andre Drummond will work and noted that one more currently unknown player with specific abilities is in their sights.
“The Lakers are currently at $137.53 million in total salary with about $1.39 million to spare under the hard cap,” Buha and Weiss wrote. “With the Lakers roster at 14, it meets the league minimum number of players on board. The Lakers are expected to pursue a 3-and-D wing with their final roster spot, per sources.”
Drummond will help the Lakers on both the scoring and rebounding front, due to his ability to consistently deliver a double-double each time he takes the court.
However, that addition doesn’t address the Lakers’ need to have someone who can connect from beyond the arc and also clamp down on opposing players when needed.
The Lakers have struggled since Anthony Davis went out with a calf injury last month and the issue was magnified when LeBron James was put out of action with a high ankle sprain. Both those players serve as the chief scoring outlets for the team, with their absences requiring some badly needed effort on both sides of the ball.
Exactly who fits the bill for the Lakers will remain a question mark, but the Lakers don’t have much time to waste as they continue to try to remain viable until James and Davis return.