Getty Shabazz Muhammad and commissioner David Stern at the 2013 NBA draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers are working out former first-round pick Shabazz Muhammad, per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. The NBA insider added that the Lakers are also working out “several veteran free agents.”
“The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to bring in several veteran free agents for workouts, including former 2013 lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote on July 22. “Muhammad recently worked out for the Sacramento Kings during Las Vegas Summer League.”
Muhammad has not played in an NBA game since 2018, when he spent time with both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. The veteran wing averaged five points and 1.8 rebounds in his 43 appearances during the 2017-18 season.
ALL the latest Los Angeles Lakers news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lakers newsletter here!
Muhammad Was the No. 14 Pick in the 2013 NBA Draft
After being the No. 14 pick in the 2013 draft, Muhammad spent his first four and a half seasons with the Timberwolves before being waived on March 1, 2018. Muhammad quickly signed with the Bucks but was released on October 11, 2018.
The veteran moved on to play internationally in China and, most recently, the Philippines. Muhammad admitted that he was not in the best shape during his last NBA stint but made the case for why another team should give him an opportunity.
“I think obviously [I bring] scoring,” Muhammad told Scotto during a March 9 interview. “There’s a lot of small ball now in the NBA. I’m a really good rebounder, and it’s one thing I take an initiative in. I’d bring energy off the bench. That’s one thing I know I did when I was in Minnesota. I’d make sure I’m always staying fit and ready while being the best teammate I can be off the floor as well to the young guys.
“I’d let them know they can’t take the league for granted. I’d make sure I got extra shots and did all the little things. You can get frustrated when you’re not playing, and all of a sudden, you go in a game at the 45th game of the season, and they throw you in the game.”
The Lakers ‘Reengaged’ in Trade Talks With the Pacers: Report
The Lakers continue to explore additional avenues to improve their roster heading into the 2022-23 season. With LeBron James eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason, the pressure is on the Lakers to once again construct a title contender. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that the Lakers have “reengaged” in trade talks with the Pacers centered around sharpshooter Buddy Hield and big man Myles Turner as potential targets.
“Behind the scenes, Lakers general manager and president of pro basketball personnel Rob Pelinka has been making phone calls to teams about trying to trade Russell Westbrook out of town,” McMenamin noted during an appearance on the July 20 episode of “NBA Today.” “Now, the latest intelligence I have is that things have not moved in terms of the Brooklyn front. There is no traction on a deal that would involve sending Russell Westbrook out and bringing Kyrie Irving in.
“One thing I have learned over the last day or two tangentially [is] that there has been some talks reengaged between the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers. Now, that would center around a Buddy Hield deal and could be a deal that would include Russell Westbrook if you’re talking about also having Myles Turner in that deal,” McMenamin said. “Or perhaps, it could be a secondary move where you would be talking about a Talen Horton-Tucker type of package to try to get Buddy Hield. So, we could see whether that would affect Russell or not.”
Comments
Lakers May Attempt to Lure Former Lottery Pick Out of Retirement: Report