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Fresh off of winning the NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers now turn to what should be an important offseason with several players set to hit free agency. The Lakers have just five players currently on the books next season with plenty of moves to be made in the coming weeks to fill out the roster.
The Lakers do not project to have cap space available once they re-sign Anthony Davis and other players but will have the $9.3 million mid-level and the $3.6 million bi-annual exceptions to use once free agency opens. L.A. will be an attractive destination for veterans looking to compete for a title and they should be in play for several free agents.
The organization also has the 28th overall pick in the NBA draft they can use to upgrade the roster. The belief is the Lakers will look to use their draft pick to acquire a veteran player that can contribute now. However, if the Lakers keep the pick, they could target Charleston guard Grant Riller, according to Bryan Kalbrosky of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
According to someone with knowledge of the situation who spoke to USA TODAY Sports Media Group on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, someone to monitor if they do use the pick is Charleston’s Grant Riller considering he is one of the most pro-ready plug-and-play prospects as a scorer in the backcourt.
Riller has been touted as a great scorer with a quick first step. He averaged 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals in 31 games played last season, while he shot 36.2% from 3-point range. Riller ranked seventh-best among Division I players in total isolation scoring, averaging 3.2 points per game, and shot 70.4% within five feet of the basket.
The 23-year-old projects to be one of the most NBA-ready players and figures to be able to make an immediate impact at the next level. Riller is most commonly projected to be a late first-round to early second-round pick so he could be available when the Lakers are on the clock.
The 2020 NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Nov. 18.
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