The Los Angeles Lakers have not made a whole lot of noise this offseason, which has many wondering whether or not LeBron James and Co. will genuinely be able to compete for an NBA championship next year.
The Lakers have not signed a single free agent this summer, which has put them in the crosshairs for many fans and media pundits.
To be fair, Los Angeles does not exactly have an ideal financial situation, but that still doesn’t excuse the Lakers for their complete lack of activity.
There is still time for LA to make a move between now and the start of the regular season, and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale has suggested an interesting free agent for the club: Cedi Osman.
Osman spent the 2023-24 campaign with the San Antonio Spurs, playing in 72 games and averaging 6.8 points over 17.6 minutes a night on 47.9/38.9/67.3 shooting splits.
Most notably, the 29-year-old was a teammate of LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers back during the 2017-18 season.
Osman averaged double figures with the Cavaliers for four straight campaigns between 2018-19 and 2021-22, so he has demonstrated decent scoring ability in the past.
Plus, the Turkish native can space the floor, which is something the Lakers desperately need.
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At the very least, Osman would provide Los Angeles with a capable shooter off the bench, and he is not entirely one-dimensional. He can also put the ball on the floor and finish around the rim.
Osman is one of the best remaining free agents, and he seems like a natural fit for the Lakers.
The Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs this past spring, and it seems like an outcome that could befall Los Angeles again in 2025.
James is 40 years old, Anthony Davis is injury-prone and the Lakers don’t exactly have a ton of great supporting talent up and down the roster.
Couple that with the fact that the Western Conference is loaded, and it seems difficult to envision Los Angeles making a deep playoff run.
You kind of get the feeling that LA’s impromptu trip to the conference finals in 2023 was sort of a last hurrah for LeBron James and the team, unless some wild circumstances occur this coming season.
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The Lakers have been unable to beat the Nuggets, and young clubs like the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves both seem primed for finals runs. Plus, the Dallas Mavericks just made the finals, and the Memphis Grizzlies are getting healthy.
Still, none of that should stop the Los Angeles Lakers from attempting to improve, and adding a useful bench piece like Osman would be a step in the right direction.
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