While the Lakers remain focused on adding bigs and wings in free agency, there’s a chance they’ll need to use some roster spots on guard depth. On a recent episode of his podcast, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha brought up two names that could be worthy additions on minimum contracts.
Lakers Insider Suggests Two Free Agent Guards to Pursue
Buha Likes Exum and Melton for LA
In the Q&A portion of “Buha’s Block,” Buha mentioned two guards the Lakers could snag in free agency: De’Anthony Melton and Dante Exum.
“Guards off the top of my head, I did hear [LA Times writer] Dan Woike mention De’Anthony Melton, and I like that name. Dante Exum, a former Rob Pelinka client, I like that name, too,” he said. “For Exum, I view him more as like a fifth guard. I would not want him as the primary addition. Melton, there’s some risk with him coming off the injury, but I think he’s an upside play that, especially for the vet minimum contract, could outperform it.”
Dante Exum
Exum, a former teammate of Luka Doncic, spent the last two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks after an overseas stint in Spain (2021-22) and Australia (2022-23). This year, the 6’5” combo guard put up 8.7 points and 2.8 rebounds across 20 games (13 starts), shooting 47% from the field and 43% from three. Laker fans may remember Exum for the wrong reasons, as he went off for 26 points—with a career-high seven three-pointers—in the Mavs’ 127-125 win over LA in December 2023.
The Aussie’s 2024-25 campaign was marred by injuries, first suffering a right wrist injury in October that sidelined him for three months, followed by a broken right hand in March that caused him to miss all but the last two games of the regular season. Across seven seasons, the former fifth overall pick has averaged.6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists on .435/.343/.765 splits.
De’Anthony Melton
Melton, an LA native who spent his collegiate career at USC, is coming off surgery to repair a partially torn ACL he suffered in November. However, as Buha noted, the 26-year-old played well before the injury and helped the Golden State Warriors to a blazing start. In just six games (two starts), he averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on .407/.371/.625 splits. The Warriors ran out of the gate with an 8-2 record in their first ten games, with Melton’s defense playing a key role in that span. While he recovered, the team traded him, Reece Beekman and picks to the Nets for a package around Dennis Schröder.
Primarily coming off the bench, the six-year veteran has put up 9.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game on .410/.369/.779 splits.
Status of Lakers Guards Heading into Offseason
The good news for the Lakers is that none of their guards are free agents this summer. However, the team still needs to make decisions that could impact their backcourt rotation.
LA only has one guard’s team option to worry about: that of Jordan Goodwin, who is due for a $2.3 million payday after being promoted from a two-way contract in March. In his fourth season, the 26-year-old averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He entered head coach JJ Redick’s rotation toward the end of the year due to his effort and various injuries to his teammates.
The trade market could also significantly affect the Lakers’ guards. Gabe Vincent is one of several players on an expiring contract, with his $11.5 million salary often included in trade rumors for notable centers. If LA shakes up the guard slot via trade, then the rotation would need to be filled out with free agents. That’s where names like Exum and Melton could come into play.
Both players had injury-riddled seasons but have the talent and experience to outplay veteran minimum deals, as Buha said earlier. They each bring tangible skill sets the Lakers need in the second unit, as well as solid postseason experience for a team eyeing another title. With Redick valuing players who star in their roles, Exum and Melton could do well off the bench for LA. They’ve shown their worth for contenders in the past and would have great opportunities to prove themselves under the brightest lights in the league.
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