It's never too late to get an upgrade. Yes, there's only one game left in the season. That doesn't mean that the Los Angeles Lakers will sit around with their palms on their laps. It was rumored yesterday that the team was looking to sign players for the playoffs. That wasn't quite right: the Lakers signed TWO players, including LeBron James' ex-teammate Tristan Thompson, per Dave McMenamin.

As expected, the Lakers added another big man to their roster for the playoffs. Anthony Davis' finnicky availability necessitates having extra bodies in case he gets injured. Thompson is far removed from his prime as a premier offensive rebounder, but he's still an able body that should be ready in case either Davis or Mo Bamba goes down.

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Shaq Harrison, on the other hand, provides another perimeter defender for the Lakers. Guarding the best guards in the league in the playoffs is important, and Harrison should provide the team with solid defense and the occasional three-pointer from deep. This signing is perhaps a response to Dennis Schroder's nagging injury.

It's worth noting that both Shaq Harrison and Tristan Thompson should not be expected to play significant minutes in the playoffs for the Lakers. Uber-late signings like this are mostly just “insurance” in case something goes wrong. Getting a player up to speed to a team's offensive and defensive schemes takes time, and you can't integrate players into their roles in the middle of the playoffs.

Still, it's good to have players like Harrison and Thompson in the Lakers' proverbial back pocket. Who knows? Maybe this is the signing that takes LA over the top in the postseason.