Getty Reggie Hearn, formerly of the Detroit Pistons, was signed by the Lakers.
After a game that saw David Stockton pile up a team-high seven assists in a solid win over the Warriors, the Lakers opted to release the son of the NBA legend in order to bring veteran G-League guard Reggie Hearn onto the training camp roster.
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Lakers Waive David Stockton, Sign Free Agent Reggie Hearn
Despite having a strong game against the Warriors while the majority of key contributors sat, Stockton was never really in a position to make the team and could find himself playing for the South Bay Lakers. However, it seems he was not signed to an Exhibit 10 deal and thus doesn’t have the financial incentive to stay. Either way, Stockton undoubtedly upped his stock in the eyes of the league after his last game and the Lakers were able to bring in Reggie Hearn, who looks to be a much better schematic fit.
Rather than a ball-dominant point guard, Hearn offers the Lakers yet another off-ball shooting weapon for their final two preseason games. Hearn is a career 40% shooter from deep in the G-League and hasn’t had much of a chance to show off what he can do in the NBA. He had a brief stint with the Pistons in 2017-2018 yet only played a total of seven minutes across three games. Hearn, the six-year G-League vet, posted averages of 11.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 42.9% shooting from deep last season for the Stockton Kings.
Hearn shouldn’t be expected to make the regular-season roster either, though he could potentially wind up in South Bay and be a call-up option should the roster find itself ravaged by injury. From the way things are shaping up now, it seems Hearn is likely to play behind rookie two-way player Zach Norvell Jr. and step in for him when Norvell is up with the NBA club.
Lakers Set to Face Warriors in Another Preseason Showdown
After a close shave against the Warriors last night, the Lakers are back in action with another matchup against the Warriors on Wednesday. Despite LeBron James and Anthony Davis both sitting (as well as Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Rajon Rondo, and Kyle Kuzma among others), the Lakers big men and bench were able to dominate the Warriors’ undermanned frontcourt.
With more veteran talent looking to return for the last two games, the Lakers should have a better chance to close out games – or at the very least build up a big enough lead to the point where the deep bench is essentially incapable of blowing the lead.
Dwight Howard had a huge game against the Warriors and seems to be a major mismatch with the way the Warriors are currently constructed. While he should face some stiffer competition when Willie Cauley-Stein and Kevon Looney are back healthy and in the rotation during the regular season, in the meantime, he should continue to establish his dominance over the undersized Warriors. JaVale McGee has been supremely effective as well, though Howard’s traditional bruising interior presence seems to be the biggest mismatch against the Warriors.