Report: Lakers tried to coax Yi Jianlian back to the NBA

Short on established talent in support of superstar Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers have left no stone unturned in their search for high-upside lottery tickets this offseason.

While the Lakers largely struck out as far as big names on the market go, they've done three things a team in their position should do, if they accept the reality of their situation: They've gone youth-heavy, they've maintained future financial flexibility, and they've taken fliers on potentially undervalued players.

The latter has come largely via undrafted free agents, but they reportedly also tried to roll the dice on a forgotten foreign player.

The Lakers tried to coax Yi Jianlian into an NBA return, according to international basketball reporter David Pick.

Jianlian was the No. 6 overall pick in 2007 and is primarily remembered as an emphatic bust. The Milwaukee Bucks gave up on him quickly, as did several others as he played for four teams over five NBA seasons, failing to capitalize on what appeared to be promising potential in his early 20s.

Over 272 games, Jianlian averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds but shot 40.4 percent overall and 33.3 percent from long-range. The 7-foot power forward seemed to lose all momentum during a successful but injury-plagued 2009-10 season, never again coming close to the 12 points and 7.2 rebounds he averaged that year.

Now 27, Jianlian has spent the last three seasons with the Guangdong Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, with whom he played before his NBA career. He's won four CBA championships and four CBA Finals MVP awards, and is a key member of the Chinese national team. This past season, Jianlian averaged 27.7 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 57.5 percent from the floor.