Though veteran signings of Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza have been prominent in analyzing the moves the Los Angeles Lakers made so far this summer, discussing the younger signings is also important.
The Lakers picked up Malik Monk on the veteran minimum for one season and added Kendrick Nunn from the Miami Heat.
Nunn, 26, went undrafted a few seasons ago but finally gained an opportunity in Miami to showcase his skills. He quickly rose to prominence with his silky scoring ability, though his defensive limitations bit him at times.
However, after the Lakers traded for Russell Westbrook, Nunn appears set to be the backup point guard.
The former Illinois standout stood out two seasons ago with his ability to put the ball in the basket, especially from 3-point range. This season, he made 38.% of his 3s on 5.7 attempts, which is the exact style of shooting L.A. needed.
During his introductory press conference, Nunn, who reportedly had bigger offers from other teams, explained why he came to the Lakers, via Harrison Faigen of SB Nation:
Kendrick Nunn, on if it was hard to turn down more money elsewhere to be a Laker.
"It wasn't that hard, to be honest. I'm a guy that knows how to sacrifice for the better of the team… It's a team sport, and I want to win. That's what I play this game for, to win."
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) August 6, 2021
The Lakers signed Nunn using the $5.9 million taxpayer MLE, which was the most L.A. could offer any free agent this offseason.
Sacrificing has been a prevalent theme for players the Lakers have signed this summer. Howard and Ariza both mentioned during their introductory conferences how they’ll need to sacrifice their roles and just do whatever is necessary to help the team win.
With the way the Lakers have constructed this roster, it’s not a secret that the franchise’s 18th championship is the end goal this season. With Nunn’s words, it further indicates this squad understands the memo of what each of them will need to do on their end to make their goals a reality.
