The NBA has been a little quiet since the trade deadline drama and its aftershocks have died down. The Lakers have signed Ben McLemore to break up that quietness. The 27-year old spent the last season and a half with the Houston Rockets. He was recently released by Houston as they purged almost their entire roster this season. Known for his three-point shooting on the wing, McLemore averages 36.3% from deep over his career. In his last season with Sacramento in 2018-19 he averaged a career-high 41.5% from three in just 19 games.
Shams Charania had the news.
McLemore gives the Lakers additional three-point shooting and wing depth with opportunity to compete for a title. The sharpshooter had a host of interested contenders, including the Milwaukee Bucks. https://t.co/LIwhQi45a4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 6, 2021
McLemore is a valuable bench piece for any contender. Wings that can shoot are invaluable these days, and he fits that mold. Being able to play for a contender may help to elevate his game, but we will see. The Lakers have made moves such as signing Andre Drummond to bolster their roster ahead of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the juggernaut that is the Nets with KD, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, and now somehow LaMarcus Aldridge.
This move was really courtesy of LeBron’s agent Rich Paul. Seemingly the most powerful man in the NBA that doesn’t dribble a ball. McLemore, a client of Paul’s Klutch Sports media group, will now be joining LeBron and Anthony Davis on the Lakers roster as fellow clients of Klutch.
This season over an average of 16.8 minutes a game, McLemore averaged 7.4 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. He has only connected on 33.1% of his shots from three. The Lakers will expect those numbers to increase as they get ready for the postseason.
