Does this trade make sense for the Los Angeles Lakers?
Adding another experienced talent like Jeremy Lamb definitely brings some advantages to the Lakers and gives them more depth, but overall, there is really no need to add him if he is going to cost them over $30M in taxes.
Jeremy Lamb is not worth a $10.5M salary for the 2021-22 season, especially given his injury history, which is why Los Angeles would be smart to wait and see what transpires with him in a Pacers’ uniform over the course of the 2021-22 season.
Lamb played in a total of 36 games last season, averaging 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and shooting 40.6% from the floor. Adding another floor spacer who is more than capable of knocking down corner threes is what the Lakers are looking for, but again, there are some much cheaper options that they could pursue with one of their final roster spots.
Wesley Matthews, who they would likely have to include in a sign-and-trade deal, is definitely a guy still available who Los Angeles could be fine with bringing back on a minimum contract. He shot just 33.5% from deep last season, but for his career, Matthews has shot 37.9% from three-point range, which is still exactly the kind of player the Lakers are looking to add.
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Finding a way to acquire Jeremy Lamb is do-able, but at this point, seems way too complicated for the Lakers to spend time trying to figure out. He can definitely be a key player, but given his large salary, his injury history and the fact that he is not a championship-defining player, Los Angeles would be much better off looking at other low-cost options instead.
