Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Veterans Worth A Training Camp Invite

The Los Angeles Lakers have a roster that is pretty much set; the main roles are written in pencil, but very heavy pencil. As of right now the training camp roster looks something like this:

Point Guard: D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson
Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant, Lou Williams, Jabari Brown
Small Forward: Nick Young, Anthony Brown, Jonathan Holmes
Power Forward: Julius Randle, Brandon Bass, Larry Nance Jr., Ryan Kelly
Center: Roy Hibbert, Tarik Black, Robert Sacre, Robert Upshaw

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: NBA Draft: Best Player Ever Selected in all 60 Spots

Guard Dwight Buycks could see a training camp invite as well, but it’s easy to see that the Lakers have a full squad already. They also have a plethora of young players, so it’s possible that a handful of them will be headed to the D-League for a good portion of the season.

If that is the case, the team would be well served to look into acquiring some veterans to help season the young core. Here are three suggestions:

Dorell Wright

Wright is the only player on this list that actually could be interesting from an on-the-court standpoint. His position, small forward, is a huge mess for the Lakers at the moment.

As of right now, Kobe Bryant is the starting small forward for your Los AngelesLakers; and nobody thinks he’s playing 82 games this season. Depth is an issue here with Nick Young, Anthony Brown, and maybe Jonathan Holmes looking like the pool of backups the team has to choose from.

Brown and Holmes are rookies — a second-rounder and undrafted free agent, respectively — so it’s unclear how ready either would be for an NBA role this season. Young is a trigger-happy 6th-man (on his best days) and is probably not a guy that should be starting for an extended period of time.

Wright would be the perfect guy to fill-in for Kobe when his aching body needs a rest. He also would be able to contribute as a three-point threat — he shot 38 percent in 42 games for Portland last season — and has added versatility as a small-ball four-man.

Though he is only 29-years-old, Wright has played 11 seasons in the NBA. He could serve as a veteran presence in addition to providing competent reserve minutes at the small forward slot.

Jason Richardson

Let’s get it straight right off the top: I am not suggesting that Jason Richardson is anywhere near the player that he was in his prime. You know, when he was doing insane stuff like this:

And, honestly, I don’t even know if Richardson can be an effective NBA player anymore. Frankly, he wouldn’t need to be if he signed with the Lakers.

What the Lakers need, should they decide not to embrace a full-on youth movement by rostering as many inexperienced players as possible, is an end-of-the-bench veteran who the future core can learn from. And though Kobe Bryant, Brandon Bass, and Roy Hibbert can help in that regard, Richardson might be the best option out there.

Back in March, Keith Pompey of Philly.com made the case for the 76ers to bring Richardson back. It sounded like the veteran enjoyed being a mentor to the young players in Philadelphia:

"“I would love to be back here with these young guys, they inspire me every day…I’m almost like a player-coach, teaching these guys a lot of things, tricks that I know.” – Jason Richardson (via Keith Pompey, Philly.com)"

After battling back from injuries that sidelined him for over two years, Richardson is a prime example for the youngsters to follow. He has been in the league for 13 seasons, has had success as a key piece and role player, and continued to battle just to return to the court as a fringe guy.

Think the young foundation could learn from someone like that?

Bobby Brown

One of the surprising things about the Los Angeles Lakers’ strategy during the free agency period was not adding another point guard to the roster.

The logic is there for the team to bypass acquiring such a player; they drafted D’Angelo Russell, still have Jordan Clarkson, signed Lou Williams, and will surely give Kobe Bryant the opportunity to do his fair share of ball handling. But, Russell is a rookie, Clarkson is a second-year guy, Williams isn’t really a point guard, and Kobe isn’t either.

Bringing in a veteran who plays the point could certainly help the development of Russell and Clarkson. Bobby Brown fits that bill — sort of.

Brown is certainly a veteran; he’s played in the NBA, the Euroleague, and China. Most recently, he was seen running point for Team USA in the Pan American games.

As a fringe NBA player, Brown would definitely take a back seat to Russell and Clarkson. However, he has a wealth of experience the young duo could tap into as they take on more responsibility in the offense.

There are only a few solid, veteran point guards potentially on the market, and one who has successfully chased his basketball dream around the world seems like a good place to start.

Next: The Greatest Player In Every Franchise's History

More from Hoops Habit

• The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout