Lakers Free Agency Rumors: Meeting with Derrick Rose ‘went well,’ decision in his hands

The Los Angeles Lakers had a busy Thursday, meeting with free agent guards Derrick Rose and Ian Clark. The front office is in search of a backup point guard to both mentor Lonzo Ball and ease him into the rigors of the NBA night-to-night.

The Lakers meeting with Rose “went well,” reports Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, with the team feeling they “did what they could” in their efforts to sign the former NBA Most Valuable Player.

Turner’s source, which left him with a handful of “quotes” regarding how the “meeting” went, also indicated that the decision is now on Rose who must decide “what he wants.”

That decision seems more and more like it’s going to come down to being a backup guard and mentor on the rebuilding Lakers or extra firepower to help the Cleveland Cavaliers reload for another crack at an NBA title.

Rose doesn’t have many of the player traits the Lakers have been looking to focus on across their roster, but he is a veteran player who one would think could help Lonzo through his first season in the NBA. He can also handle some of the shot-creating duties, which is something the Lakers found themselves needing at times during Las Vegas Summer League.

The Lakers have carefully stuck to the script of keeping their books clean of any additional salary that can dig into their 2018 free agency budget, and Rose on a one-year deal might be the kind of low-risk, potential-reward move the front office is hoping their patience has allowed for.