Did Lakers Whiff On Yet Another Intriguing Free Agent Bench Option on Tuesday?

L.A.'s stunningly dormant transactional summer continues apace.

Jun 24, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka walks off following the introductory news conference for head coach JJ Redick at the UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers have yet to sign a single new player in free agency this summer.

Some of that, yes, is because the team no doubt wasn't counting on all of Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish to pick up their player options for the 2024-25 season, effectively locking Los Angeles into filling all 15 of its standard roster spots.

Some of it can also be attributed to the Lakers' head-scratching decision to re-sign restricted free agent shooting guard Max Christie. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard ostensibly has the outline of being a 3-and-D role player in a winning environment, but he's never been able to truly carve out consistent minutes on the roster by the end of the regular season, let alone the playoffs. Last year, on a team desperate for floor-spacing and wing defense, he only managed to average 14.1 minutes a night in 67 games, logging 4.1 points on .427/.356/.783 shooting splits, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.9 assists a night. Surprisingly, the 21-year-old was rewarded with a four-year, $32 million contract to stick around. The team also re-signed 20-time All-Star forward LeBron James to a two-year, $101.4 million agreement, although that was a no-brainer.

But some of the Lakers' middling free agent moves, too, are due to sheer inaction.

It would not be impossible to shed the near-minimum salaries of Wood, Hayes and Reddish, if a second round pick or two were attached. Los Angeles must be aware that its current roster is simply not good enough to compete with the class of the Western Conference.

An opportunity to bring on yet another solid contributor ended Tuesday, when free agent New York Knicks power forward/small ball center Precious Achiuwa agreed to reported one-year, $6 million deal to stay in Madison Square Garden for 2024-25, according to Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Last year, jumping at both frontcourt spots, the 6-foot-8 vet averaged 7.6 points on 52.5 percent shooting from the floor, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.1 blocks and 0.6 steals a night in his 49 games for New York. The Knicks had acquired him as part of its deal for swingman OG Anunoby.

With Isaiah Hartenstein now on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Achiuwa seems likely to assume a full-time backup center role behind oft-hurt starter Mitchell Robinson.

Achiuwa could have greatly abetted L.A. as essentially a replacement for Hayes and Wood. Though he can't spread the floor like the latter, he's a far better rebounder and defender than either player, and could legitimately spell Anthony Davis as a backup.

Few options remain for the Lakers in free agency now. The team will most likely need to make some major trades to improve its personnel.

More Lakers: Max Christie Explains Decision to Re-Sign with Los Angeles