NBA Rumors: LA Lakers may sign former player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk on a minimum deal
The LA Lakers have been the most active team in free agency, with the latest NBA rumors suggesting they could look to sign Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.
Mykhailiuk has played for the Purple and Gold before. He was drafted by the 17-time NBA champions with the #47th pick in the 2018 draft. Since then, the free-agent wing has played for the Detroit Pistons and OKC Thunder in his last three seasons.
According to Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, sources have said that the LA Lakers may sign Mykhailiuk on a minimum deal. He said:
"The Cavs will keep looking for a capable backup 3. This is unlikely to be the final move made this offseason. Garrison Matthews, Denzel Valentine and Svi Mykhailiuk are free agency options. Mykhailiuk, sources say, may join the Los Angeles Lakers on a minimum deal."
Mykhailiuk played 66 games last season split between the Detroit Pistons and OKC Thunder. The 24-year-old averaged 8.5 points per game on 41.1% shooting from the floor.
NBA Rumors: How can Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk help the LA Lakers?
The LA Lakers have completely shifted their focus to adding as many shooters as possible.
Mykhailiuk did not have the best of seasons shooting from deep in the 2020-21 campaign. He shot only 33% from the floor on roughly four attempts per game. But it's important to take note that he was playing for two young rebuilding teams that did not help him find the kind of open looks he would need to shoot at an efficient rate.
The LA Lakers will have LeBron James and Russell Westbrook doing most of the playmaking next season. So Mykhailiuk can certainly replicate the kind of shooting form he was in during the 2019-2020 campaign when he shot 40.4% from the three-point line on 5.1 attempts.
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Mykhailiuk will likely come in as the 13th man on the LA Lakers roster, with several other players likely to be ahead of him in the pecking order. However, with the Lakers boasting a fairly old squad, Mykhailiuk can be expected to receive a significant amount of playing time in some of the easier fixtures.
He is also a fairly reliable option to have on the bench in case of any injuries to players who are ahead of him in the pecking order. Mykhailiuk is also one of the younger options on the market for the LA Lakers to consider as they need to look into adding some youth energy as well to their roster that has five players aged 35 or more.
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