The free agency period isn’t completely in the books, but by now, the best players available have primarily been signed by teams.
The Los Angeles Lakers prioritized adding shooters to surround LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis, with win-now veterans at the helm.
Players like Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore, Wayne Ellington and Trevor Ariza will all hold crucial roles as catch-and-shoot threats out on the perimeter, and younger players like Malik Monk can do knock down shots both on and off the ball.
Those players were all signed to one-year minimum deals. The highest-paid free agent the Lakers picked up was Kendrick Nunn for the full MLE on a two-year deal worth $10.3 million; the second year is a player option.
Nunn will play a role as the backup point guard who can play shooting guard in some lineups as well; he can handle the ball and hunt for a shot or spot up and convert off passes from teammates.
The signing received praise from the NBA world because of how L.A. added someone of Nunn’s caliber at a relatively cheaper price.
In Bleacher Report’s top 10 ranking of the best free-agent signings, Nunn came in at No. 8:
When The Athletic’s John Hollinger projected pay rates for this year’s free agents, he saw Nunn collecting a salary north of $11 million. The Lakers won’t even have to pay him that much across two seasons, and they can thank their contending credentials and experienced roster for that.
Nunn could be a more consistently engaged defender and willing passer, but he’s also someone who just averaged 14.6 points on 48.5/38.1/93.3 as an NBA sophomore. His scoring punch and shooting stroke are for real, and if the Lakers can help iron out the rest of this game, they’ll turn this from a bargain to outright larceny—even if Nunn plays well enough the first season to opt out of the second.
Nunn topped Reggie Bullock to the Dallas Mavericks and Jeff Green to the Denver Nuggets, while former Lakers guard Dennis Schroder came in at first with his agreement with the Boston Celtics.
The 26-year-old Nunn, who went undrafted, will be in for a big season with the task at hand. He even turned down more money for a chance at a ring, so look for him to be hungry on the court.