When backup center Mo Bamba went down with a sprained ankle, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to move forward with small lineups whenever Anthony Davis wasn’t been on the court.
Bamba was acquired in a trade that sent veteran guard Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic in February, and he quickly showed he could help the team with his ability to rebound, block shots and hit 3-pointers.
Buy Lakers TicketsIn an attempt to bolster its frontcourt depth, Los Angeles has worked out several big men even before the Bamba trade. One was Meyers Leonard, who had been out of the NBA for a couple of years after he uttered an antisemitic slur during a live stream on Twitch.
According to Jovan Buha, the Lakers were interested in signing him for the rest of the season, but he instead joined the Milwaukee Bucks (h/t Lakers Daily).
Via The Athletic:
“The Lakers had an interest in signing Meyers Leonard, whom they worked out on Jan 13., before he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for the rest of the season, according to league sources who were not authorized to speak on potential signings.”
If Leonard simply didn’t want to join the Lakers and wanted to play for Milwaukee instead, then perhaps they shouldn’t be blamed.
But there is no doubt that he could’ve helped them with his rebounding, defense and 3-point shooting abilities.