Getty J.R. Smith with LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers have no more open roster spots. But it is believed that LA could possibly make one more move if the NBA season resume.
If so, J.R. Smith is on their radar. Smith has support from another free agent: Jamal Crawford.
Earlier this week on Twitter, Lakers Nation Tweeted: Should Lakers sign JR Smith?
Crawford quote tweeted it and responded: “YES!! Sign that man. Has familiarity with Bron, can guard, knockdown shooter, vet, champion.”
Smith was in the mix.
JR Smith Scheduled for Workout with Los Angeles Lakers I’m told: t.co/2GvURgyMUF
The NBA free agent only played 11 games last season.
Workout does NOT mean signing.
My latest via @heavysan.
As I reported in late January, the Lakers and Smith were communicating on a potential workout; which he got.
But ultimately, the Lakers signed Dion Waiters instead and cut Troy Daniels to make roster room to sign him.
“It’s a business,” Troy Daniels told me when I asked him if talks of him potentially being cut bothered him.
“When they say it’s a business it really IS a business. I’ve been traded five times in my career in the past seven years so I’m scarred for life. So whatever happens. I just think whatever happens is going to happen and when it does happen, just stay strong stay true to yourself and continue to work if it happens. Obviously we’ve been up and we’ve been down. That’s what teams do. You go up, you go down. You go up, you go down. But media and everybody speculating we need help with this, we need that… we have the perfect team to win a championship. Whatever the case may be. I think we can match up with the Clippers good, I think we can beat Milwaukee in seven, I honestly do if everybody’s playing to their type of basketball. We have a couple of the best players in the world.”
Daniels signed with the Denver Nuggets.
In order to sign J.R. Smith, the Lakers would have to waive a current player on their roster.
Smith was the 18th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Hornets by way of St. Benedict’s Preparatory High School in Newark, New Jersey.
Smith has career averages of 12.5 points per game during playing stints with the Hornets, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
He won a championship with the LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving-led Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Jamal Crawford is also looking for an NBA home.
A 20 year NBA vet, Crawford has career averages of 14.6 points and 3.4 assists per game. In his final game last season, he scored 50 points against the Dallas Mavericks. “Instant scorer,” Lakers forward, Anthony Davis told me of Crawford.
“If we’re looking for a scorer, he’s definitely on that list. He can score at will. He knows the game, very crafty with the ball, so if we’re looking for a scorer, then he’s definitely a guy I can see us going after.”
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