Lakers News: Writer Derides LA For This Free Agent Signing Trend

High upside talent is the name of the game...

As the Los Angeles Lakers entered their offseason, they only had a limited amount of money to work with. They wanted to retain most of the core that just saw them reach the Western Conference Finals while adding around the edges.

The team did that and more, bringing in some low-risk, high-upside talent such as forward Cam Reddish and center Jaxson Hayes. Both players' value around the league was diminished, so latching on with LA for prove-it-style deals makes all the sense in the world.

It gives them a chance to play high-stakes basketball and show what they can do. And it allows the Lakers to build depth on their roster. But some don’t see it this way and have criticized the moves made by the Lakers.

Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report gave the biggest win and loss for each NBA team, with the Lakers biggest loss being the signings of Reddish and Hayes.

“Bringing in Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes, two top-10 picks in 2019, is a risk. Both weren't even given qualified offers from their respective teams, speaking to their lack of production in their NBA careers.”

Per Bleacher Report

While both players weren’t super productive last season, they both are still very young and have massive potential. They also were both playing for bad teams, and those teams didn’t have a guy like LeBron James, who is known for getting the best out of his teammates.

The Lakers believe that these guys can provide some depth production during the regular season and possibly playoffs if things pan out.

“Both could turn into solid role players with real upside, although the Lakers aren't exactly in development mode.”

Per Bleacher Report

In all honesty, if the Lakers are playing either one of these players' heavy minutes come the postseason, then they likely have more problems than anyone would have expected.

Both signings are low-risk, and provide the team with a chance to see what they can do. This is an upside league, and the Lakers are banking on that.

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