Farmar Under The Pacers radar
Being a class act at the young age of 23 can be somewhat unheralded especially in the ranks of the NBA. But that is exactly what Jordan Farmar exuded as the Los Angeles Lakers decided not to tender an offer to their restricted free agent. However, this situation has a mutual gain.
By declining to offer the point guard a one-year contract worth $2.8 million, the Lakers gave Farmar the freedom and the opportunity to consider other options, which says a lot about Farmar’s future as a Laker—tand which Farmar accepted gracefully.
“It’s nothing personal against the Lakers at all, because I’ve loved just about everything about playing for this organization,” Farmar said. “But I am at a point in my career where I want a chance to start, to see what kind of player I can be while playing (big) minutes.”
And with the Lakers’ acquisition of another point guard in Steve Blake, plus the possibility of an encore performance from Derek Fisher, minutes seem to diminish season after season for Farmar. When Farmar sensed that the starting spot on the Lakers squad remains elusive, he and his agent made a request to the team not to exercise their right to make him an offer. The Lakers honored the request, thus allowing Farmar to shop himself around the league as a potential starting point guard with no strings attached.
Had the Lakers made an offer, Farmar would have been considered as a restricted free agent, which means that the Lakers could have matched any offer by teams that are trying to lure Farmar away. This would have severely dampened Farmar’s chances to find a team that would bite.
Farmar may be looking for teams where his offensive role is not limited, similar to that of his role in UCLA where he was given free rein to run the offense and create shots on his own.
“That’s how I grew up playing the game,” Farmar said, recalling his days as a UCLA standout. “And as a backup, you just don't have that kind of leeway, and that can be a difficult adjustment.”
The leeway that Farmar yearns for is enjoyed by his two former teammates at UCLA—Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and New Orleans’ Darren Collison. Both Westbrook and Collison play for an up-tempo system that complement their talents, something Farmar is looking forward to.
“That’s my goal, and I want to see what opportunities are out there for me as a starter,” he said. “I know there is interest, and I’m looking forward to exploring my options.”
Currently, a number of teams have already shown interest: the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trail Blazers and New York Knicks; all of which run a wide-open offense. From these teams, it seems that the Pacers may have the upper hand. It’s a team that is desperately seeking a point guard, after all. The Pacers have already discussed matters with Farmar, but have only offered a one-year deal.
While Farmar’s career averages of 6.9 points and 2.1 assists may not be impressive, he does have those two rings to show for, his career to date, as well as the discipline and training that he has acquired from the four years of playing for an elite group. These factors are enough to pique the interest of a Pacers team that needs someone to run their offense. The one-year offer may seem unreasonable for Farmar, but it could gauge how much he truly craves a starting role, something not viable for the past four years as a Laker.
With championship experience and hunger for a starting role, Farmar is absolutely a solid player at the point. But, if he would sign and be a starter with the Pacers? It is a question that remains unknown.
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