Grading the Lakers' 5 free agent signings thus far

#2 Lance Stephenson - B+

Cleveland Cavaliers v Indiana Pacers - Game Six

The Lakers also bagged the signature of a journeyman on Day 1, in the form of Lance Stephenson. The Pacers had a $4.3 million team option, which they declined in order to leave Stephenson as a free agent.

The 6'5" 230-pound swingman can be one of the best players in the league when engaged. He is an able playmaker, a role he carried out off the bench for the Pacers last season in a manner that suggests that he's somewhere close to his best right now. Too often, however, Stephenson was inconsistent and constantly got himself into foul trouble, which might be a major reason why he didn't continue his Pacers spell for the 2018-19 season.

Stephenson's major drawback as a player alongside James is the fact that he's not a good 3-point shooter. His career average from downtown is 30.3%, which means that he will not be a major off-ball threat. Otherwise, however, he's a good rotation piece for the comparatively cheap price of $4.5 million.