Lakers Need to Sign DeAndre Bembry As Soon As Possible

The Nets cut Bembry loose following the James Harden trade, and the Lakers need to make a run at signing him as soon as possible.

The Lakers were not active at the trade deadline this year. While there were deals to be made, Rob Pelinka ultimately decided that they were not worth the talent that was being offered and pulled the plug on any deals. Instead, Los Angeles will pivot to the buy-out market to try and improve their team. 

But one guy the Lakers need to jump at very quickly is DeAndre Bembry. The 27-year-old veteran was cut loose by the Nets this week after the trade that sent James Harden to Philadelphia. Brooklyn needed to cut a player loose in order to make room for Ben Simmons and the others that came along with him.

Bembry doesn't add a whole lot to the Lakers' bottom line, but he does help fill a gap that Los Angeles desperately needs filled. They lack wing defense and do not have any of the right guys to improve that area. Bembry could help them greatly with that. 

While he might be essentially a non-factor on the offensive side of the ball, Bembry has put up great defensive numbers every year of his 6-year career. He is generally viewed as an above-average wing defender and would be a huge upgrade there over guys like Trevor Ariza and Kent Bazemore. 

The Lakers have the guys needed to score points, so having him out on the floor is not an issue there. But what they lack severely is defense, and Pelinka needs to be looking for guys that can defend the perimeters.