The Los Angeles Lakers roster has undergone a complete overhaul this offseason with only LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker remaining from last year’s team.
The biggest move, of course, was their blockbuster acquisition of Russell Westbrook in a trade with the Washington Wizards. They then filled out the roster with a number of veterans, many former stars in their own right, that are coming in with the mentality of trying to win a championship.
With the recent trade of Marc Gasol to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Lakers now have an open roster spot to hand out before the beginning of the season. They currently have 13 players but reports indicate they will go into the season with 14 instead of the allowed 15 to maintain flexibility.
As the Lakers look to fill that final spot, they are doing their due diligence by working out a number of veteran free agents. It appears that big man Kenneth Faried is among them as Jovan Buha of The Athletic is reporting that he is working out for the organization this week:
Free agent big man Kenneth Faried is working out for the Lakers this week, a league source told @TheAthleticNBA.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) September 13, 2021
While Faried has played eight NBA seasons, he is still just 31 years of age. Best known for his seasons with the Denver Nuggets, Faried is an undersized big man that hustles and attacks the glass.
He last played in the NBA in 2019 though, playing seven games in China in 2019-20 and averaging 17.3 points and 10.0 rebounds. Faried also played for the Portland Trail Blazers in the Las Vegas Summer League this offseason, averaging 5.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game across three outings.
After signing DeAndre Jordan and giving away Gasol, many thought the Lakers’ center rotation was solidified. Jordan and Dwight Howard both should see time at the position this season, as will Davis.
L.A. could use one more 3-and-D wing, which Faried wouldn’t classify as, so this workout may just be more to take a look and see what he has left in the tank, not necessarily something that will lead to an immediate signing.
CJ McCollum believes Lakers have ‘reloaded’
One player who is impressed with the Lakers’ new-look roster is Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum as he recently pointed them out as a team that ‘reloaded’ this offseason.
There’s no doubt the Lakers have enough talent to win a championship, it will just come down to if they could bond together and build the chemistry necessary to win it all.
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