Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles May Bring Back Waived Role Player On Cheaper Deal

Not a bad idea if the team can pull it off.

When NBA free agency kicked off at 3 p.m. on Friday, your Los Angeles Lakers moved swiftly to retain one key 2022-23 role player (power forward Rui Hachimura), let two others walk (point guard Dennis Schroder and small forward Troy Brown Jr.), and sign three creative new additions (point guard Gabe Vincent, plus forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish) for next season.

Now, it appears that LA may want to bring back another pal from last season, albeit on a more team-friendly new agreement.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reports that former Lakers shooting guard Malik Beasley, who saw his $16.5 million player option for the new season declined by LA, could still be a free agent option for the Lakers this summer.

Sources have informed Fischer that Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka believes Beasley continues to have value, though on a cheaper salary. Following a truly brutal playoff run on both ends of the floor, the high-volume three-point shooter saw his free agent value league-wide crater. Beasley averaged just three points on .294/.269/1.000 shooting splits, in just 11 games, in the team's playoff run.

During his 26 regular season games with LA, however, the 6'4" wing showed why he had been a trade target for the team in the first place, averaging 11.1 points per on an admittedly inefficient 39.2% shooting from the field. But he took a whopping 7.2 three-point tries and made a respectable 35.3% of them. That ability to space the floor and at least hypothetically keep opposing defenses honest during the grind of the regular season does have some value. He also contributed 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 steals a night in the regular season.

When it comes to the future of the Lakers' most important remaining non-Austin Reaves free agent, starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, Fischer notes that Los Angeles is currently a bit ambivalent. 

Gabe Vincent, who had a much better playoff run than D-Lo did this spring, might just be a better option to start at the position, making Russell potentially expendable. In an earlier piece yesterday ahead of free agency, Fischer had suggested that LA and Russell's reps were interested in inking a two-season, $40 million contract to keep the 6'4" vet on the team. His fate is looking a bit murkier now.

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