<https://lakeshowlife.com/2021/08/01/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-russell-westbrook-teammates/>

Los Angeles Lakers: 3 former Russell Westbrook teammates to sign by Jason Reed3
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The Los Angeles Lakers made the first monumental trade of the 2021 NBA
offseason on Thursday as the team traded for former MVP point guard, Russell
Westbrook. The Lakers now have a big three of Westbrook, Anthony Davis and
LeBron James that is going to be very interesting to watch.

It is fair to question the fit of Westbrook on this team, especially his
ball-dominant nature alongside LeBron. It is also fair to point out that
despite having superstar teammate after superstar teammate, Westbrook has not
had very much playoff success, not making it out of the second round since the
Thunder blew a 3-1 lead against the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

However, the team is undeniably talented and LeBron James has one of the best
basketball minds we have ever seen. If anyone will figure this out it is
LeBron and co. At the very least, the Lakers will be much better in the
regular season.

That is assuming that the team surrounds the stars with the right free agents.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot of roster left to fill out and not a lot of
money to spend. With the superstar trio alone checking in at over $120
million, the Lakers are going to rely on minimum contracts to fill out the
roster.

Perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers can target free agents who are familiar with
Russell Westbrook. Russell Westbrook is definitely an interesting player to
play with and to help ease the transition Rob Pelinka could look at free agents
who have experience playing with the former MVP. There are several options
available on the market that formerly played with Westbrook.

Here are three former Russell Westbrook teammates that the Los Angeles Lakers
could sign in free agency.

NEXT: Washington teammate

1. Robin Lopez Robin Lopez signed a one-year deal with the Washington Wizards
last offseason and spent this past season with Russell Westbrook. Perhaps
Lopez could follow Westbrook to LA and give the Lakers center depth.

Center is not a pressing need for the Lakers as Anthony Davis is going to have
to play more center to avoid the floor spacing being an issue in the playoffs.
He does not have to be a full-time center but Davis does have to close out
games at the center position. A traditional center in crunch time with LeBron,
Davis and Westbrook would be a nightmare.

The team still needs someone who can give 15-20 minutes at the center position
during the regular season. Marc Gasol is the only traditional center on the
roster and he is not the rim-protecting/rebounding big that the Lakers could
bring off the bench while AD sits.

Lopez certainly is not the best option among the cheap center options but he is
an option. There is a reality in which the Lakers miss out on the likes of
Dwight Howard (who reportedly may want to re-join the Lakers) and Hassan
Whiteside and have to sign someone like Lopez.

Lopez is not the most prolific rebounder or shot-blocker, hence why he is not
one of the better options, but he still would give the Lakers seven-foot depth
for the regular season.

NEXT: Been on these lists before

2. Jeff Green This is not the first time that Jeff Green has appeared on one of
these former teammates' lists. He is also a former teammate of LeBron James
and formerly played for Lakers head coach Frank Vogel. Perhaps that is a
precursor to what is to come as Green would be a great fit on the Los Angeles
Lakers.

Green signed a minimum deal with the Brooklyn Nets last offseason and the
Lakers would have to try and lure him away from the other top contending team
in the league. Perhaps that can be done with the former connections to LeBron,
Westbrook and Vogel.

Green is the perfect heat check player that every playoff team should be
looking to have. He is not going to be an all-around weapon for the Lakers and
he will have his moments where he disappears in games.

However, he is going to get whatever team he is on 10 points a game off the
bench and is going to shoot the three at a high rate, which the Lakers need.
Green shot 41.2% from beyond the arc last season.

Most importantly, he is prone to have a big game or two in the NBA Playoffs.
Green is the typical microwave guy that can get hot from three and wind up
having a game that can swing an entire playoff series.

We saw that in Game 5 of the Nets' series against the Bucks when Green stepped
up and scored 27 points, making 7-8 of his three-point shots.

NEXT: More shooting depth

3. Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony has proven that he still has value in this
league. He is not the player that he used to be and more importantly he has
realized that he is not the player that he used to be. That was the big
problem with Carmelo, his skills decreased while he still envisioned himself as
someone who can carry a scoring load.

Anthony has taken a backseat as a role player for the Portland Trail Blazers
for two seasons now and should be willing to come off the bench for the
Lakers. Heck, he could even start for the Lakers if that makes him and LeBron
happy, he just should not close out games.

Anthony is not the greatest defender but that is fine off the bench in the
regular season. He could start to get targeted in the playoffs but with
Anthony Davis and Frank Vogel's schemes the Lakers can certainly manage it.

Most importantly, the Lakers would get an experienced off-ball threat that
would add to the shooting deficit in LA. Melo is more than just an off-ball
shooter, though, he could even create his own shot off the bench while the main
stars are sitting (although the odds of all three of them sitting at the same
time for an extended time is small).

The one thing that has alluded Carmelo in his Hall of Fame career is a
championship and there is no better place to contend for a title than in LA
with his buddy LeBron. He is not getting anything more than a minimum deal
from anyone else, so money is not an obstacle.

The Westbrook-Carmelo pairing may not have worked in OKC (that is when Carmelo
still thought he was that Carmelo) but it could work the second time around.

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<https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2021/08/free-agency-rumors-lowry-dragic-ball-lakers-derozan-mcgee.html>

Free Agency Rumors: Lowry, Dragic, Ball, Lakers, DeRozan, McGee
August 1st 2021 at 9:01am CST by Arthur Hill
Miami is a legitimate option for Raptors guard Kyle Lowry in free agency, tweets
Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. A source tells Reynolds that the Heat
"have his attention and have had it for a while."

Lowry will be among the top point guards on the market when free agency begins
Monday, with the Pelicans, Mavericks and Sixers all likely to be heavily
involved. Toronto may also make a strong bid to hang onto Lowry, who has been
with the organization since 2012.

There are plenty of rumors on the eve of free agency:

Many teams are expected to be interested in veteran guard Goran Dragic if the
Heat turn down their $19.4MM team option and make him a free agent, according
to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). Charania doesn't identify
any of the potential suitors, but says they include "several NBA title and
postseason contenders." Miami has a deadline of 5:00pm Eastern Time today to
reach a decision on Dragic, along with a $15MM option on Andre Iguodala.
William Guillory and John Hollinger of The Athletic break down sign-and-trade
possibilities for the Pelicans involving Lonzo Ball. The Bulls, Pacers,
Clippers, Celtics and Wizards are all mentioned as potential sign-and-trade
partners. Dwight Howard could return to the Lakers to provide help at center,
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times suggests in a free agent roundtable
on both L.A. teams. Howard helped the Lakers win a title in 2020 before
signing with the Sixers last offseason. Turner names Patty Mills, Wayne
Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Jeff Green, Iguodala, and Dragic as
other possible targets. The Clippers may pursue DeMar DeRozan if he's willing
to take a pay cut, Andrew Greif states in the same piece. JaVale McGee would
"definitely" consider returning to the Nuggets, stating that a chance to win
will be his priority in free agency, as Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post details.

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<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK_3_mzhW8g> video

Free Agents Looking To Sign With Lakers Revealed 93,192 views Aug 1, 2021

Patty Mills, Wayne Ellington, Trevor Ariza, Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony,
Dwight Howard, Jeff Green, Zoran Dragic.

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<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVBIj13Gx6Y> video

Woj breakdown how the Lakers clear cap space for Demar DeRozan or Dwight Howard
188,000 viewsAug 1, 2021