The LA Lakers have been making a number of free agent moves this summer and a deal for Eric Bledsoe or Greg Monroe could have been in the cards before the team signed Carlos Boozer and now names like With Jordan Crawford, Mo Williams, Toure Murry, Michael Beasley, Ramon Sessions and Evan Turner remain on the market for Kobe Bryant support and this comes as the team is nearing a decision on hiring Byron Scott as head coach and the possibility of a Steve Nash trade.
The Lakers had cap space to make a move on Bledsoe, but that did not end up happening, as the team would have been hamstrung by giving him an offer sheet. According to ESPN.com and Pro Basketball Talk, the Lakers considered making a move on Bledsoe, but doing so would have put the team in a tough salary cap situation for three days while the Suns had the chance to match the offer and since the team said they would match all offers, the Lakers felt it would have been a waste. The same reason is why the team did not go after Monroe either and the Lakers instead filled out their roster.
The team would be a great fit for Bledsoe and there were reports that the team considered a massive sign and trade with the Suns, but that ended up not happening. The Lakers traded for Jeremy Lin this offseason and now they have a solid point guard in case Steve Nash can't go and that is big for the team as they try and turn things around this season. The Lakers were terrible last year and they are hoping that Kobe Bryant can return healthy and last for a full season, which would give the Lakers a chance to at least scratch at making the playoffs.
The Lakers brought in Carlos Boozer on a $3 million bid after he was hit with the amnesty clause from the Chicago Bulls and that would not have been able to go through had the team made an offer on Bledsoe. The tough part about Bledsoe is that the Suns have cap space and said they were going to match any offer for him as they negotiate and that has scared off teams. PBT reports that the Lakers, Rockets and Milwaukee Bucks are possibilities for Bledsoe, but right now he is working with the Suns.
Bledsoe was injured and played in just 43 games last season and 83 over the last two seasons, but his talent is immense and many see him as a point guard of the future option. The free agent market is getting thin and names like Evan Turner, Jordan Crawford, Mo Williams, Toure Murry and Emeka Okafor are on the market and they could be options for the Lakers as well.
The Lakers signed Xavier Henry and waived Kendall Marshall with the idea of signing him back, but the Bucks claimed him to thwart that idea. Boozer is a replacement for Pau Gasol and he could be in line for some solid production after averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds last season for the Bulls.
