Lakers News: LA Misses Out On Best Remaining Free Agent Despite Open Roster Spot

Did LA make a mistake?

Well, the best remaining NBA free agent -- following your Los Angeles Lakers' signing of power forward/center Christian Wood to a shockingly good minimum deal -- is now off the board.

Sources inform Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that former Charlotte Hornets forward Kelly Oubre Jr., an unrestricted free agent this summer, has inked a one-year contract to join reigning league MVP Joel Embiid on his Philadelphia 76ers.

Woj notes that, depending on Philadelphia's return haul whenever former All-Star guard James Harden finally forces his way out of town, Oubre could actually earn major run as a key perimeter piece for a club hoping to thread the contender needle even if it loses a future Hall of Famer from its backcourt.

After signing Wood, Los Angeles had one available opening on its standard 15-man roster, to which it could have theoretically added Oubre. While the 27-year-old is a springy athlete who can get inside at will and offers some defensive bang for your buck, he positively cannot reliably make shots from deep, which needed to be LA's focus when adding wings this summer. The club probably made the right call in leaving Oubre alone (presumably to sign another minimum deal with Philadelphia, although terms of the contract have not been divulged).

Last year, on a banged-up, 27-55 Hornets club, Oubre averaged a career-most 20.3 points on .431/.319/.760 shooting splits, 5.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 assists, though he himself was healthy for a scant 48 contests (40 starts). Could he sustain that level of output over the course of a full season, and more important should he get the ball that much on a team that's actually trying to win? Probably not.

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