The Los Angeles Lakers have made a number of moves this offseason by signing Nick Young and Wesley Johnson and allowing pariah Dwight Howard to leave for Houston and now the team has a chance to add more depth, as names like Gary Neal, Kenyon Martin, Mo Williams, Mike Miller, DeJuan Blair and Drew Gooden are still available as free agents.
The moves the Lakers make all depends on money because of how their salary cap situation is, but adding some veteran depth and other players to the roster could be a huge help for Kobe Bryant next season as he comes back from a serious Achilles injury and some of the top names left like Mike Miller and Gary Neal could be very good for the bench. The team had issues all last season with Howard and how he played on the floor and now that he is gone, Mike D'Antoni can truly put in his system.
Neal has been a solid player for the Spurs and averaged 9.5 points a game and is a career 39.8 percent shooter and now the Bucks may bring him in to be a starter. The rumors say that the Spurs may not match an offer for Neal and if the Bucks try to give him one, they will see what San Antonio will decide to do.
Ian Clark is another name and he played for the Miami Heat in the Orlando summer league and for the Warriors in Vegas and he was key as Golden State defeated the Phoenix Suns in the finals of the tournament and now many teams may come calling. According to USA Today, the Heat, Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz are all interested in signing Clark and the Warriors may have the inside track after he played so well for them in the summer league.
The team also signed Jordan Farmar and he will probably continue to play point guard along with Steve Nash and Steve Blake and he also could play shooting guard depending on how long it takes Kobe Bryant to come back from his injury. The team now adds Farmar to the roster along with Bryant, Nash, Pau Gasol, Blake, Jordan Hill, Jodie Meeks and Chris Kaman.
Farmar went to Maccabi Tel Aviv during the NBA lockout in 2011 before coming back to play for the Nets and he also played with a team in Turkey last season while averaging 13.8 points on .397 shooting from behind the arc, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.4 minutes in nearly 30 games played in the Euroleague. Farmar should be a solid option from the bench and now the Lakers have set themselves up well salary cap wise for next summer, as the team has a number of players on contracts that will be done with after this season. Odom would be a solid addition to the team and the move could help inspire him to play his best basketball in a few years since leaving the Lakers. He ended up back with the Clippers and also spent a disastrous time with the Mavericks, while Jamison last was with the Lakers and could just move locker rooms.
The Cavaliers have targeted Miller after his release from the Heat and while he is owed $6.2 million next season, the Cans could make him an offer to get him before he clears waivers and becomes a free agent. Miller has some injury concerns and the report said that the Rockets likely would make a play for him as well if he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Last season he played a huge part in the back to back championships for the Heat and he would join Andrew Bynum as the big additions for the Cavs. Last season he played in nearly 60 games and was solid off the bench and he would likely play a similar role with the Cavaliers if they sign him.
Nikola Pekovic is likely staying with the Wolves, but the team and his reps are working on a deal that rumored to start at four years, $50 million, but that will likely come down. Gerald Henderson is restricted and he may be on his way out after averaging over 15 points per game last season. Odom has been rumored to be going back to the Lakers as well as the Clippers and he likely will only get one-year offers. Nate Robinson also continues to be an option for teams after how well he played in the postseason for the Bulls without Derrick Rose.
