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#3 Dennis Schroder
After the masterful displays from the playoff Rondo in last year's bubble, LA Lakers fans will have been reluctant to see the veteran leave prior to this season. However, the team needs a long-term option as LeBron James' ball-carrying duties are bound to wane in the coming seasons.
In came the tenacious two-way German Dennis Schroder from OKC. His expectation was to play a prominent role on the biggest stage after playing second fiddle for most of his career. The 27-year-old was fairly consistent during the regular season, averaging 15.4 points and dishing out 5.8 assists.
But the real test for Schroder was determining whether he would be up to the challenge of playing for the LA Lakers in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he struggled in his first postseason with the franchise.
Although he had three games of over 20 points, he also had just eight points and three assists in game four, and zero points and one assist in game five. He shot the ball at 40% from the field and 30% from downtown - both lower than his campaign's statistics. Considering his sky-high asking price to stay with the LA Lakers, there remains huge doubt over Schroder's future in California.
#4 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond will be one of the most coveted free agents this summer as a serial rebounder. He is also a center who has averaged 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks throughout his career. Drummond was unable to have the consistent effect desired after being picked up by the LA Lakers halfway through the season due to regaining match fitness and acclimating himself to the roster.
Although it would make sense for the Lakers to run it back and give Drummond a full season alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the franchise may be reluctant to offer him the kind of contract he had prior to his move to the west. The 27-year-old was previously earning almost $28m and the organization has a lot of decisions to make this summer on which players they want to bring back. Drummond, therefore, may just miss out.
#5 Wesley Matthews
As mentioned previously, the LA Lakers have a plethora of decisions to make this summer, including the future of Wesley Matthews. The veteran guard's one-year stint in purple and gold was interrupted by injury, as he missed 14 regular-season games and had one of the lowest offensive ratings of his career.
Averaging over 19 minutes per game, Matthews was only able to put up 4.8 points and 0.9 assists per game. He is an experienced head and a valued defender, but his overall output for the team could be considered expendable as the Lakers attempt to rebuild their roster to compete next year.
