The Los Angeles Lakers are only a year removed from winning a championship but their new roster looks almost nothing like the title-winning roster. The only returning players are LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker. Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo were also part of the championship team but weren’t with the Lakers last season.
Among the players were on the 2019-2020 squad who isn’t around anymore is guard Quinn Cook. He didn’t play a lot of minutes with the team (9.5 a game in two seasons) but was a solid veteran to have on the bench. Though he’s not with the Lakers anymore, he’s landed with a new team. According to Shams Charania of The Atheltic, Cook is signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Free agent guard Quinn Cook is signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Portland Trail Blazers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Cook now joins superstar guard Damian Lillard in an effort to win a third championship ring. Cook also won with the Golden State Warriors in 2018. The fact that the contract isn’t guaranteed means that the guard may not end up making the regular-season roster. He only played in 23 games last season as he had trouble staying on a roster. Time will tell if he can make a long-term home in Portland.
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Warriors Recently Worked out 3 Former Lakers Guards
Former Lakers guards are becoming popular around the NBA. According to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, Cook was among three guards to work out for the Golden State Warriors. Joining him were two other former Lakers guards in Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley.
Warriors are working out free agent guards Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley & ex-Warrior Quinn Cook among others this week, sources told @TheUndefeated. Warriors would like to sign a big man & 2 guards for camp. Workouts will include 5-on-5 games with a diverse group of free agents.
With Cook off the table, Bradley and Thomas could be an option for the Warriors. It’s a bit surprising Bradley is still available. He’s a very good defender and is just 30-years-old. He’s also capable of hitting the occasional three as he’s a career 36.3% shooter from beyond the arc.
Thomas is another story as he’s had trouble sticking on a team for years now. He’s a solid scorer but not nearly the defender that Bradley is. It’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t land on a team before the season starts.
Could Lakers Bring Back Bradley or Thomas?
Training camp is starting soon so the Lakers aren’t likely to make any roster moves until then. They still have two guaranteed roster spots available but are taking their time to fill them. Earlier in the offseason, they did show some interest in Thomas. Nothing has come from that but it’s possible they work him out in training camp to see if they do want to bring him in.
Nothing has linked Bradley to the team but he would make sense. He was the team’s starting shooting guard for much of the championship season before he decided to opt out of the NBA bubble. The Lakers sacrificed a lot of defense when constructing their current roster. Bradley would bring back some defense on the wing, which is what they need. It could be a wise move to sign him.
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Championship Winning Lakers Guard Joins Damian Lillard in Portland