Free-agent profile: Roger Mason Jr.

This is the 16th post in a series focusing on this year’s free-agent class.

Player: Roger Mason Jr.

Former team: Washington Wizards

Type of free agent: Unrestricted

Positives: Mason Jr.’s stint last season with the Wizards shows he can thrive as a role player if given the opportunity. He almost had two separate seasons, one that featured him stuck deep in the Wizards’ depth chart and one proving he’s a worthy option. After averaging only 1.9 points in 21 of the Wizards’ first 31 games, Mason Jr. found an increased role when Randy Witman replaced Flip Saunders as head coach and after the Wizards sent guard Nick Young to the Clippers. In his final 31 games, Mason Jr. averaged 7.3 points, shot 42.5% from three-point range and hit double figures 13 times. Even with a broken finger, Mason Jr. played through 18 more games, including a 19-point performance in mid-February against New Orleans. The Lakers also saw first-hand how dangerous Mason can be coming off the bench, as he scored 14 points in only 12 minutes in the Wizards’ 106-101 upset over the Purple & Gold.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard may have experienced a journeyman’s career that has included six teams in eight NBA seasons. But he carved a reputation for hitting both clutch shots and providing locker-room experience, most notably when he averaged 11.8 points in the 2008-09 season with the San Antonio Spurs and nailed a bunch of game-winners. Mason Jr. doesn’t have the history with the Lakers, the relationship with Kobe Bryant or the five championship rings to show for it, but in a way, the qualities Mason Jr. brings mirrors that of Derek Fisher. Say what you will about how slow the former Laker looked in his last few seasons, but he still inspired teammates through his work ethic and garnered plenty of respect for his championship DNA. To a smaller degree, Mason Jr. could fill that presence.

Negatives: The 31-year-old lacks the necessary quickness both in driving to the lane and defending in the backcourt. His shooting specialty remains solid from the outside, but Mason Jr. shot only 43% on shots within 16-23 feet and took few attempts close to the basket and from 10 to 15 feet. It’s also fair to wonder how the surgery on his fractured left-index finger on his non-shooting hand would affect his handle.

Verdict: The Washington Post reported that the Lakers, New Orleans, Chicago, Oklahoma City and Washington are interested in acquiring Mason Jr. The story also states that the University of Virginia product doesn’t want to sign another one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum. That could handicap L.A., considering that Mason Jr. might have other options. But the Lakers should try to acquire him for that slot in case he has no other choice.

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