The Los Angeles Lakers roster for the 2014 season leaves a lot to be desired. Yes, Kobe Bryant is the highlight along with 2013's leader Nick Young and first-round draft pick, Julius Randle.. However, fans are not satisfied with the Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin combination. Carlos Boozer is in the backend of his career and that leaves the team with Robert Sacre as their lone true center. With free agency thin of options, how do the Lakers handle their need for a resident big man?
According to Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders, the Lakers are concerned about a lack of defensive presence on their roster. Boozer is not the same player he was even three years ago and that could cause the team to continue searching for options on the open market. Davis notes that right now Andrew Bynum and Greg Oden are the "ebst available" as far as affordable centers go, but the Lakers are uncertain whether or not to take the risk on the injured players.
Out of the two, Oden is the better option. The center and former No. 1 overall draft pick was signed by the Miami Heat in order to continue rehabbing his troublesome knees. He played a brief amount of time for the team, very brief, but did earn enough respect to hold up the Eastern Conference championship trophy. However, Oden has yet to give the NBA any meaningful minutes and Los Angeles is wondering whether or not he is worth the money.
Bynum may or may not be preparing to take another year off from basketball to rehab his respective knees. Davis referenced a report saying the center did a workout for the Los Angeles Clippers, but the team would not confirm it. Bynum's agent says his client does plan on playing basketball game, but might take a year to undergo another type of treatment to stabilize his knees. There are pros and cons to signing either player. They are both under 30-years-old, but their injury history reads that of a 60-year-old. The Lakers might not be contending for a title, but they do want to win and Oden and Bynum might not be the best options for that.
Teams in need of centers are looking at both Greg Monroe and Roy Hibbert. Monroe remains a restricted free agent as he continues to turn down offers from the Detroit Pistons and Hibbert is now being shopped in trades after Paul George's injury. The Lakers cannot afford an offer on Monroe and they lack the assets for Hibbert meaning Oden and Bynum might be all there is for them.
