The attempt to assemble a mid-2000s NBA All-Star team in the city of Los Angeles is now in full throttle. The Lakers already have Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol on their basketball team with Metta World Peace (2004 All-Star), they signed-and-traded for Steve Nash (the 2006 NBA MVP), and have reportedly managed to land Antwan Jamison too (2005 & 2008)
Now it's Jermaine O'Neal time.
Lakers to work out free agent forward Jermaine O'Neal in Las Vegas on Tuesday, source tells Y! O'Neal has recovered from knee surgery in Feb
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 17, 2012
O'Neal will shockingly only be 34 years old by the start of this season, but he hasn't really been productive recently. In his last two years with the Boston Celtics he averaged around 20 minutes a game but only played a combined 49 games (plus nine postseason), averaging five points and three to five rebounds a game. Despite needing big men during their playoff run, O'Neal was cut before the playoffs. Not exactly the man you would trust to really turn it on.
Still, the Lakers could use more big man depth, and O'Neal could play some center and power forward along with Jamison to spell Bynum and Gasol more capably than Jordan Hill all by his lonesome. It's worth a look to see what he's capable of before moving on and trying to find new targets.
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