Let’s take stock of this New Orleans roster.
Tonight’s opposition for your Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Pelicans, will actually not face a ton of tough decisions to make this offseason, at least with regard to incumbent free agents.
That said, like basically every NBA franchise, New Orleans does have some expiring deals on its current roster, plenty of whom will hold at least some appeal for LA — depending on their price, of course.
The big name that I’m considering is one who will be familiar to anyone who’s been tracking this website so far in 2022-23. Read on to find out whom.
3. Jose Alvarado/Naji Marshall
Alvarado is one of the peskiest defensive point guards in the league. The second-year backup has been a revelation thus far in his NBA career. LA could certainly use a tough, consistent defender at the point of attack with some upside. He is technically signed with the Pelicans for a third season in 2023-24, but it’s a non-guaranteed deal, meaning New Orleans could opt to cut him loose this summer, technically. Given that he’s going to be an absolute steal on his scheduled $1.8 million contract next year, I doubt NOLA lets him walk.
The same is undoubtedly true of Naji Marshall, who has emerged as a really good rotation wing, also on a $1.9 million non-guaranteed deal heading into the 2023-24 season. I doubt that either of this guys will actually become available to LA.
So assuming that is the case, I’ll go with another option:
3. Jaxson Hayes
His troubled personal life and inconsistent on-court play will probably cool the young big man’s value as a restricted free agent. He is an athletic prospect with some upside, but honestly unless both Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba don’t work out for LA this season, there are probably better places the Lakers could spend their money. I’d avoid him, but he does have some untapped talent potentially.
2. Garrett Temple
This is the kind of player who would have fit perfectly on the 2021-22 Lakers (translation: he is old). The 36-year-old has a non-guaranteed $5.4 million contract for 2023-24 that New Orleans will probably not renew, especially given that the wing has been lapped in the Pelicans’ lineup but younger, more athletic perimeter players. He could be a solid minimum pickup for LA, if need be.
1. Josh Richardson
The Pellies’ newly-acquired swingman had been eyed by the Lakers as a potential trade candidate while he was with the San Antonio Spurs earlier this season, and depending on what he can fetch on the open market he could still hold a lot of appeal as a competent 3-and-D wing reserve. Given that New Orleans already has a decent amount of these kinds of players on rookie scale money, it’s no sure thing that the club retains him.
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