Out of all the teams in the NBA, none have been working harder to bolster their roster than the Los Angeles Lakers. Rob Pelinka wasted little time re-tooling the supporting cast surround LeBron James, Anthony Davis.
Some of the players they’ve acquired in free agency include Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, and Malik Monk. Despite this array of signings, the Lakers continue to monitor potential candidates for roster spots.
Since his breakout years with the Boston Celtics, Thomas has struggled to maintain a spot on an NBA roster. His most recent stint was last season with the Pelicans, where he appeared in just three games before being released. Having previously played with LeBron might give Thomas an added boost in his pursuit of a roster spot.
Collison, now 33-years-old, has been out of the league for two seasons. He last played for the Indiana Pacers in 2019, averaging 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG over 76 games. There was a brief stint last season where Collison debated returning to the NBA but opted to stay retired despite interest from multiple teams.
Mike James is the most interesting name out of the three. After being out of the league for almost three years, he made a return last season with the Brooklyn Nets. James averaged 7.7 PPG across 13 games in the regular season and even made some appearances in the playoffs.
While all three have something they can bring to the Lakers, it seems unlikely any are extended a contract. Due to all the singings made in free agency, the Lakers’ roster and rotation are practically filled up.
The Lakers have pushed all their chips in this season. They intend on being back in the title picture after an early exit last postseason.
While it’s unclear what these three players might have left to offer a contending team, it is still worth doing the due diligence.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.