Roy Hibbert is apparently the next man up for the Los Angeles Lakers. After the team passed on Jahlil Okafor in the 2015 NBA draft, then failed to trade for DeMarcus Cousins or sign LaMarcus Aldridge, the attention turned to Hibbert.

As ESPN explains, the deal sending Hibbert to Los Angeles is close to done, but won’t be finalized until the July 9 deadline.

“Thursday is the first day that the deal can be consummated, after a leaguewide moratorium on roster business is lifted, and one source told ESPN.com on Saturday: ‘It’ll get done after July 9.'”

So, while the Lakers will have to pay the hefty $15.5 million price tag for the final year of Roy Hibbert’s contract, they’ll be free to do as they choose after this season. For Lakers fans, the addition of Hibbert continues a run of mediocre moves that has left any talks of postseason play seeming unlikely.

Taking the risk on Hibbert isn’t a bad move by the Lakers, but the issue is, this all stems from the NBA draft. When the Lakers chose to draft D’Angelo Russell with the second pick, it meant that the team would turn their free agency attention to signing a big man.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, Hibbert wasn’t the top choice. Hibbert probably wasn’t even one of the top three or four choices. After two meetings with Aldridge, the former Portland Trail Blazer chose to head to the San Antonio Spurs, while Cousins remains in Sacramento still.

As for Hibbert’s standing with the Pacers, his time with the team was all but finished heading into 2015. As Pro Basketball Talk reported, it seemed as though Indiana was almost trying to force Hibbert out the door this offseason.

“You’ll recall that Pacers brass did everything they could to dissuade Hibbert from opting into the final year of his contract, one that is worth more than $15.5 million for next season. Head coach Frank Vogel intimated that Hibbert could be benched next year as his team looks to play faster, while team president Larry Bird’s quote on Hibbert’s contract decision amounted to ‘whatever he does, he does.'”

As the Inquisitr earlier reported, the cost of bringing Hibbert to town won’t be too hefty, making this deal one that may benefit both sides.

What remains to be seen for the Lakers though, is whether or not passing on Okafor and going with Russell was the right move. The front office in Los Angeles likely believed they could land a talented big man for the future, such as Aldridge this offseason. Instead, it seems more and more likely that they’ll be taking out a one-year loan with Roy Hibbert.

Can Hibbert, who’s only 28 currently, take his game to the next level in Hollywood, or will the Lakers be left regretting the decision to pass on a talented big man like Okafor? Time will tell, but Hibbert will need to play with a major chip on his shoulder during the final year of his contract if he wants to see big dollar signs next offseason.

Let’s hope the Lakers can get a motivated Hibbert to pair up with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Russell, and Julius Randle in 2015.

[Image via Andy Lyons]