The LA Lakers now have Byron Scott as their head coach and Kobe Bryant is excited to get back healthy and after adding Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin, the team still has free agent options in Jordan Crawford, Michael Beasley, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Andrew Bynum, Greg Oden and Ramon Sessions on the market.
The Lakers come into the season after putting up one of their worst records ever and while they are not championship contenders, they should at least be in contention for a low playoff spot. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers have worked out Michael Beasley and reports said the team was impressed with how Beasley looked despite having a little bit of rust on him. Beasley was with the Miami Heat last season and was a contributor off the bench and now he could have a similar role if he joins the Lakers.
Beasley has solid size at 6-foot-10, 235-pounds and he can play defense on the wing as well and while he did not contribute much last season with the Heat, he could have more of a role with the Lakers if they sign him. Beasley was a former number two overall pick back in 2008 and while he has not delivered on that promise, he still is just 25 years old and still has plenty of potential despite not doing much in his career.
The Lakers also have options in Shawn Marion and Jordan Crawford, as those players can provide depth and support on the bench. Marion is still a strong defender and rebounder despite his age, while Crawford showed off his improvement last season with the Warriors and Celtics. Crawford is a solid bench scoring option and if the team doesn't add Beasley they could look his way. The Lakers now have Byron Scott and he is expected to whip the team into shape after what happened last year.
According to ESPN.com, the Lakers worked out Beasley at their practice facility and could sign him this week. The Lakers previously have tried to trade for Beasley in past years and he comes in after averaging 7.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game last season. Beasley has been an improving shooter and he has gotten his numbers up from 40.5 to 49.9 percent overall and that is a big thing for the Lakers heading into the season and that is why he could be signed.
The Lakers have already been very active in free agency and they have 12 players under contract and if they add Beasley and second round pick Jordan Clarkson that would bring it to 14. The Lakers already signed Nick Young back along with Ryan Kelly and that came after Young set career highs with points last year and ked the team in scoring last year. Xavier Henry is also back along with Wesley Johnson and the team also has Julius Randle from the draft and Jeremy Lin in a trade with the Rockets.
The Lakers also could look at a Steve Nash trade this season, as they are putting his full salary on the books and another team could be interested in getting his expiring deal.