Los Angeles Lakers: 3 former players unsigned in 2021 NBA Free Agency
By Dalton Sell
The Los Angeles Lakers have been among the most active teams during the 2021 offseason after revamping their roster with a slew of moves in NBA free agency.
After recently signing Rajon Rondo to a one-year deal worth the minimum, it appears that the team is finally done putting the finishing touches on their roster ahead of next season. Rondo will return to Los Angeles for his second stint, the first being during the eventful 2019-20 campaign, where the team won the NBA title for the first time in a decade.
Although Rondo has been taken off the market, there remains a handful of former Lakers still looking for teams next season. As free agency has started quieting down, their chances of ultimately getting another shot in the league remain up in the air, but some of these players could undoubtedly deserve a closer look.
With that being said, here are three former Lakers still on the market and some teams that should look into signing them.
Los Angeles Lakers: Wesley Matthews remains unsigned in NBA Free Agency
Signing Wesley Matthews on a minimum to kick off last year’s free agency seemed like a great move for the Lakers. He was coming off a solid season in 2019-20 as the starting shooting guard for the Milwaukee Bucks, and LA fans were understandably excited about the addition due to his 3-and-D prowess. However, it never quite panned out how many initially envisioned.
Matthews struggled to find his place in the rotation all season, which hindered his playing time significantly. He shot career lows in field goal percentage (35.3) and 3-point percentage (33.5), which helped him play just 19.5 minutes per game. That was also a career-low in a season where he played the fewest games in his career at 58. It was a failed experiment for the Lakers, and it was not surprising to see the team not bring him back, instead replacing him with players like Malik Monk and Wayne Ellington.
Despite his down year with the Lakers, Matthews is a player that could help several contenders still looking to shore up their wing depth. After all, the guard has shot 37.5 percent from deep for his career, but recency bias will cloud the fact that Matthews has been a reputable outside shooter since he first came into the league. Defensively, he is not the young stud that he once was, but the guard is a capable defender that can take on big-name assignments. At 34-years-old, he would bring hard-earned experience to whichever team he signed with, along with some 3-and-D play.
When it comes to teams that should look to sign Matthews, there are many options. One team that stands out is the Chicago Bulls, who made several massive moves this offseason. As they look to leap back into contention this coming season, the biggest concern they currently face is how they will hold up defensively. While Matthews would not transform them into a formidable team on that side of the ball, he could help improve while providing some solid 3-point shooting on top of it.