The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to a number of different free agents as July 1 approaches. The team may not get a meeting with Kevin Durant, but they are expected to pursue a number of different players from Hassan Whiteside to Mike Conley.
The Lakers could use help everywhere and one player who brings a lot to the table when healthy is Chandler Parsons. An all-around wing, Parsons has struggled with injuries in the last couple of years but is effective when on the court.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the Lakers are expected to be among the suitors for Parsons:
League sources: Lakers are among suitors for Chandler Parsons. ESPN’s Marc Stein reported that the Grizzlies are also pursuing Parsons.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) June 30, 2016
Parsons would surely bring a lot to the table if the Lakers were able to convince him to come to L.A. He is an excellent shooter, something the Lakers sorely need. He is also a great ball-handler and passer for his position as well as being capable of defending multiple positions.
While some may be worried about Parsons taking minutes away from second overall pick Brandon Ingram, Parsons is more than capable of playing with Ingram and would take pressure off of him to be a major performer immediately.
The Lakers need help across the board regardless of position and Parsons would certainly bring that, though the concerns about his knees are serious and he recently had surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Even with the injury concerns however, Parsons could be worth the risk.
Some of his numbers dipped slightly last season, but Parsons still averaged 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from three-point range for the Dallas Mavericks.
