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LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham on Tuesday said the team has "no imminent plans" to sign either Tristan Thompson or Tony Bradley.
The Lakers have had an open roster spot since making some moves at the trade deadline. While Ham has expressed satisfaction with the team's current roster, the injury issues for LeBron James and Mo Bamba as well as Anthony Davis's inability to play in back-to-backs have left the Lakers thin in the frontcourt.
The Lakers recently worked out centers Tristan Thompson and Tony Bradley. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Thompson was in good shape, but there was no mention of Bradley's physical condition. Thompson played limited minutes for three teams last season, while Bradley appeared in 12 games for the Chicago Bulls this season before being waived after the trade deadline.
Regardless, according to ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin, the Lakers were only doing “due diligence” and have "no imminent plans" to sign either of the players.
LA Lakers are thin in the frontcourt after Mo Bamba injury
The Lakers have a couple of options with their 15th roster spot. They can sign a free agent to a 10-day contract and evaluate him before committing for the rest of the season. Alternatively, they can offer a multi-year minimum contract with a team option for the 2023-24 season, allowing for flexibility going into the summer.
The Lakers have an open roster spot and have recently also been hit with an injury to Mo Bamba. Still, Wenyen Gabriel has been playing well recently and Anthony Davis is reportedly going to play in the team's only remaining back-to-back game this season. However, if the Lakers want to spend money on a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency scenario, there is almost no downside.
The 32-year-old Tristan Thompson has not played in the NBA for a while. In contrast, Tony Bradley is a much younger option at 25 and has appeared in 12 games for the Chicago Bulls, playing limited minutes before being waived after the trade deadline. Of course, both the players are not good 3-point shooters, which is one of the Lakers’ most obvious weaknesses.
Only Austin Reeves and D’Angelo Russell have shown a capability to hurt opponents consistently from 3-point range. Of course, things can be expected to change once LeBron James returns to consistent action. The Lakers can still qualify for the postseason and have a good chance of gaining some salvation.
Guess the Lakers players!
