The Los Angeles Lakers may be at capacity when it comes to roster spots. However, that doesn’t stop anyone from pushing them to add new players. That’s the case with a recent story from Bleacher Report, where LA was tabbed as a perfect destination for a particular forward.
Lakers Encouraged to Add Veteran Perimeter Threat
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B/R’s Greg Swartz has encouraged the Lakers to go out and add free agent wing Doug McDermott to their roster. The ten-year veteran averaged 5.5 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists last season. He also shot 43% from the field, 41% from three and 57% from the free-throw line. In advocating for McDermott’s services to the Lakers, Swartz pointed out how his floor spacing would complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis:
“McDermott, 32, doesn’t do much else at this stage of his career, yet he remains an elite floor-spacer who would fit in well next to James and Anthony Davis. He nailed 47.8 percent of his pull-up threes and 40.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot attempts last season between the San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers.”
Drafted 11th overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2014, McDermott has played for six teams across his ten years of service. Denver traded him on draft night to the Chicago Bulls, where he spent three seasons before embarking on brief stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks. Fans likely remember McDermott from his first stint with the Indiana Pacers (2018-21). He was eventually moved to the Spurs as part of a sign-and-trade before the Spurs sent him back to the Pacers in a significant three-team deal. Through it all, McDermott has played 655 career regular season games and averaged 8.9 points and 2.2 rebounds on .471/.410/.809 shooting splits.
Is McDermott to the Lakers a Good Fit?
The recent averages may not look perfect, but there are several reasons why the Lakers should take a flier on McDermott. Aside from his excellent shooting off the catch and on pull-up threes, McDermott was able to get hot even in limited minutes. He scored a season-high 18 points off the bench (6/9 FG, 6/8 3PT) when the Spurs fell to the Portland Trail Blazers on Dec. 29, 2023. McDermott also dropped 14 points on 5/8 shooting from the field when the Pacers played the Lakers earlier this March. All in all, McDermott reached double digits 11 times last season—and all of those performances came off the bench.
But aside from his scoring, McDermott displayed laudable professionalism as his role decreased over time. After being sidelined with a calf strain, McDermott provided valuable minutes in his return and remained a mentor to younger players. He only saw 64 minutes of playoff action as the Pacers ran to the Eastern Conference Finals, but he also knocked down three of eight attempts from distance (37.5%). For a Lakers team that lacked reliable spot-up threats in the frontcourt last season, McDermott would be a welcome addition to not only step up when needed but also guide the young wings in Dalton Knecht and Max Christie, among others.
The Road to Acquire McDermott
For the Lakers to sign McDermott—or, at this point, anyone else—it will have to come via trade. LA needs to clear up enough cap space for a $2 million minimum contract, which is notable considering they are $45,000 below the second apron. The Lakers could trade one of their minimum players (e.g. Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood or Jalen Hood-Schifino) to clear up both money and roster space for remaining free agents. LA pulled off a similar move with Marc Gasol in 2021, trading the veteran big man to the Memphis Grizzlies (again) in an effort to clear cap space and open up a roster spot. To avoid a logjam at the wing, Reddish may have to be the one to leave in this instance. Hood-Schifino could also be a trade candidate, given his injury history and the return of Gabe Vincent.
Regardless, McDermott is a realistic target for the Lakers to pursue if they decide to do so. He would not only give the Lakers an additional veteran in the locker room, but also a solid perimeter marksman who still has something to offer at 32 years old.
