Getty Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters
The Los Angeles Lakers welcomed Dion Waiters for a workout on Monday, and the veteran guard impressed during his time on the court, according to reports.
Sham Charania of The Athletic reported that Waiters had an “impressive showing” for the Lakers’ brass. The next step for Waiters was to meet with Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, GM Rob Pelinka and senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis.
Lakers have completed workout with free agent Dion Waiters and he had an impressive showing, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Next portion of Waiters’ visit to the Lakers: Meeting with Frank Vogel, Rob Pelinka and Kurt Rambis.
Waiters would be a nice addition to the mix for his scoring ability off the bench. He averages 13.2 for his career, although he hasn’t seen much time in the NBA this season. He has played in just three games and was suspended three times by the Miami Heat for various incidents. His tenure in Miami will no doubt be a topic of conversation with the Lakers leadership, with chemistry being a major part of a possible signing for LA.
Waiters was traded at the deadline to Memphis, who waived him shortly after.
Lakers Have Open Roster Spot After Waiving Troy Daniels
The Lakers waived guard Troy Daniels on Sunday, creating an open roster spot. Vogel said the team had no imminent move planned and the timing had to do with Daniels being able to sign with another team and be playoff eligible.
“We do not have another move imminent,” Vogel told reports via Spectrum SportsNet. “We wanted to maintain the flexibility to add a player if we need one, if we have a particular injury to a position. And if we were going to do something and cross that road at some point, and we had to use Troy’s roster spot, Troy would be left out in the cold. We wanted to do the right thing by the player and also give ourselves some flexibility if we wanted to make a move in the future.”
Frank Vogel provides @LakersReporter with injury updates for tonight’s #Lakers visit to New Orleans and how Zion makes the Pelican’s offense more dynamic.
Daniels’ agent, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports, was very complimentary of the Lakers front office following the move.
“Rob [Pelinka] and Kurt [Rambis] were fantastic in giving Troy optionality based upon all the scenarios that could play out in the coming weeks,” Bartelstein told ESPN.
Daniels is 28 years old. He averaged 4 points in 11 minutes this season. He reacted to the move on social media.
“Absolutely one of the hardest decisions of my life. But it was best for ME..! I’ve been tested in my life before and I have came out the storm on my feet every time. What a pleasure it was to be apart of such a unbelievable organization of the Lakers. Being in LA literally changed my life for the better and I’m excited to see what’s next .!! To all my brothers on the squad yall know what it is .. good luck the rest of the way. Ima see yall real soon.!!”
Lakers Have Other Names to Weigh, Including J.R. Smith
Another free agent guard is expected to workout for the Lakers in J.R. Smith. LeBron James’ former teammate with the Cleveland Cavaliers is expected to workout for LA early this week, according to Charania.
Heavy’s Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson first reported back in January that the Lakers were planning to work Smith out.
Free agent guard J.R. Smith will work out for the Los Angeles Lakers early this week, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
Smith is shooting 37.3 percent from 3-point range for his career. Currently, James is leading the Lakers with 2.1 made 3-point attempts per game, attempting 6.2 shots from beyond the arc per contest — also a team-high. He’s hitting threes at a 34.5 percent clip.
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