The Los Angeles Lakers are entering the meat of the NBA offseason with Anthony Davis on the roster after a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Unfortunately, the deal forced them to trade most of their depth and they could very well be in need of signing a point guard.
If that is the case, there are a few options for them to look into in free agency. One of those options should be Indiana Pacers' impending free agent Darren Collison.
Aside from his experience playing for new Lakers' head coach Frank Vogel, Collison brings the skills to the court that L.A. needs to find. They will need a veteran who can play on and off the ball, which Collison is more than capable of doing. In addition to that, they will need more shooters, which Collison proved he was capable of doing at a high level with the Pacers.
During the 2018-19 NBA season with the Pacers, Collison ended up averaging 11.2 points per game to go along with 6.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He shot 46.7 percent from the field overall and knocked down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. In the 2017-18 season, Collison led the entire NBA in three-point shooting at 46.8 percent.
Collison is searching for a contender to join and it seems like he will be leaving the Pacers. He isn't interested in playing for a rebuilding franchise at all. That makes the Lakers an intriguing target for him.
Los Angeles has been connected to names like Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving this offseason, but those moves would not be a wise decision. Due to the Davis trade, the Lakers don't have a ton of cap room to work with. If they truly want to contend for a championship, they have to surround James and Davis with quality role players.
While Collison may not be the kind of player that can power a team, he wouldn't need to be in L.A. All he would have to do is focus on shooting the ball and making plays for his teammates. He is more than capable of filling that kind of a role.
There is no telling what kind of money Collison will be looking for this offseason, but it won't be a steep price. He is probably worth a deal around $7-9 million. That would not be too expensive for the Lakers to make a run at him and he might be willing to take less to play for an NBA Finals contender.
Defensively, Collison is not much of an impact player. He is undersized and has some issues staying in front of opposing guards. Despite that deficiency in his game, Collison is able to get into the passing lane and gets his hands on quite a few plays.
Los Angeles may look to shoot a little bigger than Collison at the point guard position. If they want a cost-effective player who can make a difference and play a veteran role, Collison could be there guy.
Expect to see the Lakers look into quite a few options at the point guard position. Rajon Rondo could end up being re-signed due to his experience with both Davis and James. Collison is certainly an option to keep an eye on when free agency opens up.
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