NBA Rumors: Shams Charania says LA Lakers are working out Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley
A recent NBA rumor has suggested that the LA Lakers are working out Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley. With The Athletic's Shams Charania sharing a report regarding the two free agent centers, we take a look at how they could fare with the Purple and Gold.
The LA Lakers have faced trouble with their big man rotation all season. On the insistence of coach Darvin Ham, Anthony Davis has played center for the most part, but the Lakers haven't had much success in securing a backup.
That goes all the way back to the start of the season. The Lakers employed Thomas Bryant and Damian Jones as insurance for Davis. Their fears were realized when Davis went down with injury and was sidelined for a large part of the season.
With Davis out, the Lakers suffered from not having enough size in their lineup. However, the issue was addressed at the trade deadline when the Lakers added some serious length to their team, signing Mo Bamba, a legitimate seven-footer.
Unfortunately, with Bamba getting injured recently, the Lakers seem to be back to square one. Davis remains the only 'center' on the team. While Wenyen Gabriel plays as a backup big man, the Lakers really don't have the length to compete against bigger teams. Needless to say, the Lakers need support. As per Shams Charania's report, the Lakers are trying to provide it.
The Purple and Gold are rumored to be working out with veteran free agents Tony Bradley and Tristan Thompson. With an open roster spot, the Lakers could look to fill it with either man.
Bradley and Thompson were both with the Chicago Bulls. Although Thompson has been a free agent since last season, Bradley is slightly fresher, as he was waived only a month ago.
How could Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley help LA Lakers?
The LA Lakers' decision to work out Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley addresses a very pressing problem - size. The team needs size and length in the paint to rebound and act as cover for Anthony Davis.
The Lakers have done a lot to provide Davis with support. With rotations featuring Davis playing alongside Jarred Vanderbilt and Wenyen Gabriel, AD has the flexibility to move outside the paint on offense. The LA Lakers have made smart choices by training with centers.
However, Bradley's numbers don't necessarily impress at first glance. As an underwhelming scorer and rebounder, Bradley offers very little as a contributor. Should Mo Bamba return soon, Bradley would undoubtedly be relegated to the third option in the big man rotation.
Meanwhile, Tristan Thompson is a fairly solid rebounder, but his scoring is less than satisfactory. However, as Charania mentioned, his experience of playing alongside LeBron James could be valuable.
While the LA Lakers still await LeBron's return, they will need all the support they can get. Whether the two aforementioned free agent centers are the solution to their problems is up for debate, though.
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