Getty Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
Despite winning the championship just recently, the Los Angeles Lakers are already starting to move on from players who were part of the team. They traded away Danny Green and now it looks like another veteran guard is on the way out. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Lakers have waived Quinn Cook.
The Los Angeles Lakers are waiving guard Quinn Cook, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Cook had a non-guaranteed season for 2020-21.
Cook only averaged 11.5 minutes a game last season so the news that the team is moving on isn’t too much of a surprise. The guard didn’t have any role during the Lakers’ recent title run and became expendable. However, they will be paying him $1 million of his $3 million salary for next season.
Cook is a strong 3-point shooter who has championship experience with two different teams. He should be able to find a landing spot at some point. Though he didn’t play much, he was always very active on the Lakers’ bench and toughed out the bubble even though his role was minimal. Cook is only 27 but he can bring a team some solid leadership ability.
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Lakers Not Complacent
The Lakers might be the reigning champions but they aren’t about to take things easy. The upcoming season is closing in and Los Angeles wants to ensure a repeat. General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka knows that other teams are getting better so he needs to make sure the Lakers do the same.
“I think there are a handful of teams that hope to contend, and we’re not going to just sit back and not expect others to better their teams,” Pelinka said Thursday, via Mike Trudell. “The danger of winning is complacency, and we won’t allow that to happen here.”
Pelinka already showed that he’s trying to improve the team by pulling off a trade for Dennis Schroder. That already helps the team in a big way. There probably isn’t a blockbuster on the horizon but Pelinka is clearly looking to keep making the team better. With free agency closing in, expect the Lakers to be targeting some big names.
Other Veterans Who Might Not Return
Green and Cook are the only two guys who are for sure not returning to the Lakers but the team could have a lot of turnover. Avery Bradley, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Rajon Rondo are all capable of hitting free agency this offseason. It seems like a done deal that Rondo is going to leave to make more money elsewhere.
It appears that Bradley, McGee and Caldwell-Pope could all prefer staying in Los Angeles but would like more money. Caldwell-Pope seems the most likely to stay put but there’s a good chance Bradley and McGee stick around.
Dwight Howard has stated that he wants to stay but he wants more money. The Lakers might be more inclined to use that money on somebody younger like Serge Ibaka. JR Smith and Dion Waiters also don’t have anything tying them to Los Angeles right now. However, it’s a massive longshot that either one of those players gets a new contract with the team.
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