Los Angeles Lakers: Will Xavier Henry Return?

One of the positives to emerge from the Los Angeles Lakers’ 27-55 season was their productive group of reserves. Xavier Henry was one of the members of that bench, and his improvement was evident in his fourth season. The Lakers were second only to the San Antonio Spurs in bench scoring at 42.3 points per game. Henry accounted for 10 of those points per game, a career high.

His style of play is a solid fit for today’s game, where guards are big and physical. Henry stands at 6’6″ and weighs 220 pounds, qualities that led to him being highly touted entering the University of Kansas. Henry is known for using crafty moves at the rim and is explosive once he reaches it.

Lakers fans were definitely given a reason to be excited about Henry’s addition to the team, and it started on opening night last season against the Los Angeles Clippers. With 22 points, Henry led the Lakers in scoring in his October 29 debut while also providing memorable highlights:

Henry posted career highs in field goal percentage at 41.7 percent along with 21.1 minutes per game. The downside of Henry’s season was a string of injuries, limiting him to 43 appearances. Henry initially missed 28 games after suffering a strained right knee. To make matters worse, Henry returned to action and then suffered torn ligaments in his left wrist. The 23-year-old played through the pain, before re-aggravating his knee late into the season. The Lakers decided to shut Henry down for the remainder of the year.

This summer, Henry enters unrestricted free agency with questions regarding his health. He underwent surgery for both his injuries, both of which were successful. The Lakers recently worked out Henry to gauge his recovery, as the team will explore bringing him back on a deal. Los Angeles expects few suitors for Henry, coming off a season with two injuries, but the potential he displayed when healthy will intrigue teams.

Should the Lakers retain Henry’s services, they can build a solid foundation of youth that they’ve been lacking for years. With the recent drafting of Julius Randle, it is important they establish a solid core. Henry can provide much-needed scoring and depth with a team that compiled 319 missed games due to player injuries. The other outlying factor is the price tag that will come along with Henry’s return. Armed with an estimated $22.5 million in cap room, it’s anticipated that a deal should fit well on the Lakers’ books.

The return of Kobe Bryant will definitely be closely monitored. If he is not producing at a high level, Henry can be relied on to pick up some of the scoring and ball-handling duties that Bryant usually does. The two can also be used in lineups together, providing him with a chance to play more one-on-one.  With Bryant taking pressure off of him, bringing back Henry may result in another career season.