“I never worry about the problem. I worry about the solution.”
-Shaquille O’Neal
The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of their cap space in free agency by signing center Timofey Mozgov (4 years and $64M), multi-purpose Luol Deng (4 years and $72M) and Jordan Clarkson (4 years and $50M). They also traded for point guard Jose Calderon, giving the Lakers 3 veterans into their young roster. Although not sexy signings by any means, the Lakers are betting on their future by bolstering their lineup with mature, experienced players who have been around the block who can teach the young Lakers core how to grow up in the NBA. It’s time to buy in if you are a Lakers fan, because this is what the new Lakers are, and if there is any hope of luring a perennial all-star in upcoming years, it’s imperative that some of these guys [Russell, Ingram, Randle or Clarkson] become all-stars themselves.