Laker Free Agents

With a solid roster that even Kobe Bryant approves of, the Lakers are poised to make another run at the NBA title next season. GM Mitch Kupchak does have a few decisions to make in the offseason though. The only draft pick the Lakers own is the 58th overall selection (Memphis owns their first round pick via the Pau Gasol trade) so I doubt Lakers management is going to have any difficult decisions to make concerning the draft, but free agency is another story. Two of the Lakers’ energetic bench players, Sasha Vujacic and Ronny Turiaf, are both restricted free agents, meaning the Lakers can match any offer the players receive from another team.

I think the more important guy to re-sign is Vujacic. He provides instant offense off the bench and guys who can score will always have value in the NBA. Vujacic had trouble adjusting to the NBA during his first few seasons, looking absolutely lost at times, but something seemed to click for the 24-year-old Yugoslavian this season. He was a big part of the Lakers’ run to finals and deserves a contract extension. Vujacic is a guy I could see winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in the future. Turiaf, in my opinion, is more expendable. He’s an energy guy who is always cheering from the bench, but I just don’t think he’s very good. He always gives 110 percent, but I don’t see him starting for an NBA team in the future or getting significant minutes off the bench. I really admire him for coming back from the heart condition that kept him out of action for his entire rookie season, but the NBA is a business and I think Turiaf is undersized at the power forward position and has neither the length nor the athletic ability to make up for it. If the Lakers are looking to let one of these players walk for financial reasons, I think Ronny is the one they should let move on.

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