The Los Angeles Lakers continue weigh options for their backup point guard role with a couple of names emerging on Thursday. Derrick Rose was the biggest one as the Lakers met with him on Thursday, but he wasn’t the only one.
Former Golden State Warriors guard Ian Clark was mentioned as a possibility for the Lakers with them having interest him. According to Mark Medina of the OC Register, the Lakers met with Clark on Thursday as well:
The Lakers met with free-agent guard Ian Clark for 45 minutes on Thursday afternoon, according to a league source familiar with the situation.
The difference between Clark and someone like Rose or Deron Williams is that Clark is younger and has less NBA experience. He is, however, an NBA champion, winning a ring with the Warriors last season. The Lakers reportedly view his championship experience as reason he can be a mentor for Lonzo Ball despite his lack of overall NBA seasons:
The Lakers view the 26-year-old Clark as a good mentor for rookie point guard Lonzo Ball after helping the Warriors win the 2017 NBA championship. After only playing four years in the NBA, Clark still could further cement his career with the Lakers should he have a productive season.
Clark is an interesting possibility for the Lakers as he is capable of playing both guard positions and is an excellent shooter, knocking down 37.4 percent from three-point range. With Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka seemingly intent on getting someone who can be a mentor for their rookie point guard, however, Clark would seem to be behind guys like Rose and Williams.
If the Lakers see Clark’s playoff and Finals experience as positives it could vault him up the list of potential signees. He is familiar with head coach Luke Walton and his system as well, making a potential fit even easier.
Last season, Clark appeared in 77 games for the Warriors, averaging a career-high 6.8 points.
