The Los Angeles Lakers entered into last season’s free agency with a mountain of cash to spend and a list of targets to pursue. The big fish, like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Hassan Whiteside weren’t interested in signing on with a rebuilding team, so Los Angeles looked to the next tier of players to improve their roster.
One need, in particular, was a defense-first swingman, and they offered a four-year deal worth $72 million to Atlanta Hawks free agent Kent Bazemore, who had already spent time as a Laker in 2014.