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As per recent reports, the LA Lakers are set to lose shooting guard Danny Green to the OKC Thunder in an NBA trade which will see them acquire Dennis Schroder. NBA Trade Rumors suggest the LA Lakers are lining up a move for veteran swingman Wesley Matthews to replace the departing Green. We make the case for why the LA Lakers should acquire Wesley Matthews this offseason.
NBA Trade Rumors: Making a case for why the LA Lakers should sign Wesley Matthews
Despite winning the NBA championship last season, the LA Lakers had one chink in their otherwise impenetrable armor - the shooting guard position. The LA Lakers started Danny Green at the spot, after signing him to a bumper contract at the start of the season. However, the three-time NBA champion came up short in the postseason, and saw his acclaimed 3-point shooting fall off a cliff.
According to NBA Trade Rumors, the LA Lakers are planning to replace Danny Green with Wesley Matthews, who played for the Milwaukee Bucks last year. Matthews has been a journeyman in the NBA over the last few years but has maintained his reputation as an expert 3-point shooter. The veteran shooting guard is also a capable wing defender. '3 and D' players are arguably the most sought after assets in the NBA at the moment.
By acquiring Wesley Matthews, the LA Lakers will get a valuable bench swingman on a minimum contract, as opposed to Danny Green's large $15 million per year deal. Matthews has a $2.6 million player option for next season, and the LA Lakers can pick him up on a team-friendly contract if he chooses to decline it.
Most importantly, Matthews is a career 38 percent shooter from deep and shot 36.4 percent from 3-point range last year for the Bucks. Shooting from behind the arc is one of the few areas of concern for the LA Lakers, and Matthews will certainly help solve that particular problem.
Matthews also has the ability to play lockdown defense in short spurts and is excellent at restricting opposition guards. NBA Trade Rumors have linked Matthews with teams looking to shore up their defense. The LA Lakers experienced his tenacity firsthand when they met the Milwaukee Bucks last year in a regular season game. Matthews restricted LeBron James to 5-13 (38.5%) shooting, as the Bucks won the contest.
Wesley Matthews looks like an ideal candidate for the LA Lakers guard spot, and if the NBA Trade Rumors are to be believed, the veteran should be a part of the setup soon.
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