The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly aggressive these days as they look at alternative names that don't exactly carry a hefty price tag.
After signing Jonathan Holmes and then Michael Frazier, the Lakers would have added another name to the mix; although the player in mention is not exactly a fresh one.
The player being pertained to is Yi Jianlian, a player hailing from China who last played in the NBA back in 2012.
Yi's last stint was with the Dallas Mavericks where he played for just 30 games and averaged 6.8 minutes. He entered the NBA in 2007 after being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks before exiting with the Mavs. He also had a stint with the Washington Wizards in 2010.
The 6-foot-11-inch Chinese national is currently signed with the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the Chinese Basketball League and would have been another potential forward option for the Lakers had they succeeded in signing him.
While a report from the Washington Post bares that Yi is open to another stint in the NBA, the Chinese basketball star seems to be weighing his options wisely. This includes landing with a team where he can be successful.
A former NBA player, Will Bynum, believes that Yi has improved a lot and deserves another crack at NBA stardom.
"I played against him when he was here too, when he was in Milwaukee and Jersey. He got a whole lot better," says Bynum to the Washington Post. "He's physical now. He always could shoot the basketball. He's rolling. Yi's tough, man. He's a matchup nightmare over there."
With the Lakers in rebuilding mode and apparently expanding the players to choose from, Yi could make the regular roster if all had gone well. If not, he would have likely ended up playing in the NBA D-League for the LA D-Fenders.
With word that the Lakers struck out, it seems that Yi isn't prepared to take that chance just yet.
