Several big names still remain on the free agent market in the NBA as teams continue to finalize their rosters for the 2015-16 season. The Los Angeles Lakers are building their team around a young group of starters along with Kobe Bryant by bringing in as many depth players as possible and that effort is clearly not over yet as they take interest in certain names still on the market.
According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the Lakers are interested in getting JaVale McGee under contract. The free agent center has been sitting on the market with mild interest in his talents. At 27, McGee could be a steal for any team, but a signing is a risk considering his extensive injury history. McGee has shown flashes of true talent that simply gets overshadowed whenever he gets hurt. The Dallas Mavericks were the first team to pursue McGee heavily while the Lakers now come in to add depth behind Roy Hibbert. With players like Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre available for trades, McGee could come in and be a solid impact player, but only if he is healthy this time around.
There is competition for McGee. With the Mavericks and even the New York Knicks interested, there will be a fight for the center. Carlos Boozer could play a factor into the deal he gets. Both the Mavericks and Knicks are also eyeing Boozer according to ESPN's Ian Begley. Whichever team misses out on the former Lakers' veteran could chase McGee with a contract.
If the Lakers are willing to deal Kelly or Sacre, they could be in the mix to acquire Chris Andersen from the Miami Heat. According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Heat, the team is desperate to deal Andersen while his contract is not garnering that much interest. If the Lakers really feel they need depth at the center position, Andersen would be a huge upgrade behind Hibbert. However, the team might not want to take on the $5 million he is owed this year.
Bryant has confidence in the current Lakers squad. While there is uncertainty around the health of Julius Randle and the development of D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, Bryant likes the team's chances to be success. While the veteran's health is still unknown, Bryant made it clear that he would be back this season and was not a guarantee to retire at the end of the year.
"We haven't set anything in stone, and I've talked about it before," Bryant said, via Yahoo Sports. "But could this be the last [season]? Absolutely. It's tough to decide. It's really tough to make those types of decisions. Players I have spoken to say, 'Kobe you will know. I'm making this very simple. Either I like playing the game and going through this process or I don't. I try to strip it down to the simplest form. Either I like playing some more or I don't. But I think that decision needs to be made after the season. It's hard to make a decision like that before the season."
