The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly making some roster additions by signing Shaquille Harrison and Tristan Thompson to deals ahead of the postseason.
The Lakers are signing two players today to add depth for the postseason, sources told ESPN. L.A. will sign guard Shaq Harrison, a defensive-minded point guard, and Tristan Thompson, a veteran center with playoff experience on LeBron James’ teams in Cleveland. Both players…
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 9, 2023
The moves are expected to bolster their depth and provide reinforcements to positions of need for the team.
Harrison is a veteran point guard who last played for the Portland Trail Blazers this season. In five contests for Portland, he put up 8.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
He hasn’t been that efficient from the field in recent years, although his first three seasons in the league saw him convert 44.8 percent of his shots. It might be counterintuitive for the Lakers to bring in a player that isn’t much of a factor from the perimeter, but his defense at the point should prove to be useful for Los Angeles.
The more notable signing is probably Thompson, who brings playoff experience and a championship pedigree. It’s worth noting that the big man hasn’t appeared in an NBA game in the 2022-23 campaign. However, the fact that he is LeBron James’ former teammate should help him acclimate to the Purple and Gold quickly enough.
Interestingly, Thompson had already been linked to Los Angeles before. He worked out for the squad late last month and was apparently in good shape, which the 32-year-old said surprised James.
Many of James’ fans would remember how well Thompson meshed with the four-time MVP during their time together with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Moreover, the 6-foot-9 center’s rebounding prowess could help the Lakers.
It remains to be seen if the two recent additions will suit up for the Lakers’ regular season finale against the visiting Utah Jazz on Sunday. However, chances are that the coaching staff won’t gamble on putting the newcomers on the court in a high stakes contest.
Los Angeles currently sits at the seventh spot in the West. It can move up to sixth place if it wins versus the Jazz and the Golden State Warriors lose on Sunday. However, that scenario remains unlikely, considering that the defending champions will match up with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Still, the Lakers should strive to come away with a victory against Utah to secure at least the No. 7 seed and home-court advantage in the play-in tournament.
