After opening one roster spot this week by trading Rajon Rondo to Cleveland, the Lakers are hoping to make similar moves involving DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Wednesday on “NBA Today” (Twitter link).
L.A. wouldn’t be looking for players in return, Windhorst adds, as the team wants to create roster flexibility to add talent on the buyout market. Stanley Johnson, who received a 10-day contract earlier today, is expected to fill the slot vacated by Rondo.
Jordan has started 18 games this season, but he recently fell out of the rotation and hasn’t been used in the team’s last six games. He signed with the Lakers in September after reaching a buyout with the Pistons following a trade from the Nets. His $2,641,691 salary ($1,669,178 cap hit) is fully guaranteed and the team would prefer to trade him rather than waive him because of luxury tax concerns.
The Lakers have begun using a smaller, more versatile lineup with LeBron James starting at center. With Anthony Davis possibly returning later this month from an MCL sprain, there’s not much of a future for Jordan in L.A. The 33-year-old is averaging 4.5 points and 5.7 rebounds this season while shooting 67.5% from the field.
The Lakers have also explored the trade market for Bazemore, according to Windhorst. The 32-year-old forward started 14 games earlier in the season, but has also been pulled from the rotation and has made just one six-minute appearance since December 17. Bazemore started 14 of the 22 games he has played and averages 4.3 PPG and 1.8 RPG.
Hilarious
Absolute greatness
Good idea to trade both guys to average teams
Top 2 title contenders Lakers don’t need them
Both tough guys can join Nuggets
Wow what is going on?
It clear as day they are dumping players they aren’t using to have open roster spots .
Jeanie buss is kinda a miser lol ! Those guys can’t help the lakers and better use of roster spots sure but the idea that it’s gonna save them some cash as well is a riot ! They are gonna give up a second or two to save money instead of just waiving those league min deals
riot. of all days to throw that word out there.lol
Why does that make her cheap? If you can get something for them, why wouldn’t you? The Lakers aren’t building through the draft in the Bron era, anyway.
It’d be like if you had something you didn’t want, and I offered you fifty bucks but asked if you’d kick in a case of Pepsi. You just going to toss it out for no reason? Lol
It makes her cheap because they are stuck in this situation over money. They could have resigned Caruso, but chose not to over a cap hit they would choose to pay today if they were given the choice again.
A major factor in the Westbrook trade was they didn’t want to pay Kuzma, KCP, and Harrell with a THT extension coming up. That killed the depth of the team making them have a roster with like 70% minimum deal contracts.
They also could have signed Dinwiddie or DeRozan who both had interest in playing for the team. While it would likely require a sign and trade, the Lakers didn’t want to pay for that.
This is all done by the Lakers. The team far and away top in the league in annual revenue. It’s like saying the Dodgers or Yankees can’t afford going over $200 million spending. I’m sure the Buss family will have regret when they don’t get all the revenue a team that goes deep into the playoffs earns.
You understand it was lakers GM lenron james who made the westbrook trade? Pelinka had verbal agreement to get b hield and Lebron made him nreak his word. Kings wont even deal w lakers its that bad.
Source? I am not “understanding”. These allegations would make a good story… so why is it not being told? Or is it somewhere outside of a comment section.
Wrong Lakers still make more money than any team in the NBA just clearing roster spots for buyout players we need open spots at the end they will make cuts period
They don’t have to give up second rd picks or even the 5 million in annual trade able cash to clear roster spots ! Waiving league min contracts is very easy to do
Caruso wasn’t worth $32M after luxury taxes this year.
Everyone wants to ignore the $40M tax hit.
They also ignore that the Lakers offered $14M and 2 years, but the Bulls offered $35m and 4 years. The Lakers offer perfect matches Lebron’s contract and how the team is built.
Also, Reaves has filled his shoes. Maybe different, but still filled.
So it’s really that Caruso was smart and took $35M, and the Lakers made an offer, but chose to take a different path due to his pricetag and years.
Thank you, perfect post.
Jeanie has certainly been cheap
While the Buss family isn’t particularly flush with cash as many other owners the franchise’s worth certainly shouldn’t prohibit any kinda spending today with LeBrons last years
It’s a touch baffling tbh as a local- City is putting in hundreds of millions to the new area as well soon further helping their cause
They couldn’t get dog biscuits for either player. Hard times in lala land.
Biggest might take them. Need some depth
Nuggets*
Correct. Nuggets make the most sense for Jordan. They have an actual need at Center and an article was literally just posted about it.
Nobody should wanted DJ, he’s completely cooked
Someone might want an 3rd string / Emergency player with an expiring contract.
Same with Bazemore.
Their biggest value might be situational, and that they contract comes off the books in June.
Bazemore makes no sense for the team the way he is shooting. Cleveland should have taken Bazemore too.
Lakers might wanna focus on winning a few games before worrying about the buyout market. Nobody’s signing with the Lakers if they’re a few games under 500 come buyout market time.
What a disaster for Bazemore. He is a good friend of Curry and had a guarantee offer to return with W’s, but he turned it down for Lebron. Ouch!
Bazemore choked. He was offered a bigger role in L.A. He was in the starting rotation at the beginning of the season and it was his job to lose and he lost it. And then he lost his spot in the 2nd unit. He’s never had a ‘good’ game. Now he’s a disgruntled cheerleader so yeah, he probably should have chosen that bench role in SF and he’d be cruising. Can’t say the Lakers didn’t give him the shot though. In fact they were counting on him. He’d be starting now if he’d simply played well. He didn’t.
Exactly!
At some point you have to point the finger at the player
Monk came over here under the same provisions, perhaps even leaving more on the table, no problem there
Monk literally came out and said there wasn’t one single other team that was interested in signing him besides the Lakers LOL
Monk is good player do even watch basket
ball LOL
Once a player signs with Kerr, he is advised to say there when possible.
Shouldn’t have traded for Westbrook in the first place LA. Should’ve targeted shooters to surround LeBron and AD.
Does DeAndre have any other friends that can force a GM to sign him? He has been washed for the last couple of years.
KD got him a 4 yr 40m contract with Nets, so he’a more than fine financially….
Sad to see a guy that has been elite in the league like DJ just in the situation he has been the last couple of years, he isn’t that old, I just hope he finds a nice situation were he can enjoy the rest of his career, at his age he has achieved everything in his career, after 30 the stars should start looking for nice situations to enjoy the rest of their careers, so I hope DJ finds a nice place & gets the playing time that he clearly deserves by his good performances!
He never worked on his game. It was all dunks and rebounds and he doesn’t do that particularly well anymore. I knew handing out max or near max deals for guys that had huge holes in their game was a mistake. He just got complacent and now it’s costing him. Short term vision.
Jeannie isn’t cheap,she’s looking to improve and get better.J Buss has 1 mission statement and that’s to win Championships.Best Owner in basketball!
Absolutely!!
I wish you were correct
All you all complaining about the buss need to know why Lakers are in this awful position is bc of their GM… Lebron James..
James is the one who forced Pelinka to break word w kings on b hield deal and made Lakers trade depth for Russ.
This is why caruso easnt resigned & derpzan wasnt signed bc lebron wanted Russ Westbrook.
They traded their Defense & depth away.
Those are bad guesses. Your notions do not fit what LJ has gone for in the past— shooting and players he thinks he can improve or at least lead. Hield fits better for him. RW cannot shoot and is unleadable.
LJ did not advocate Caruso as much as he should have tho; he and Derozan would have taken more financial commitment from Buss.
I still support the RW over Hield move.
Hield wasn’t going to push the team over the top.
RW might.
And, while RW might not, he’s a very valuable salary and player. I’m hoping Lillard says, “I want to be traded to LA”, in which, RW is the perfect player to send to Portland, help fill seats, match salaries and help them push through a slight rebuild.
Or RW is a great 3rd team add on for some other blockbuster….
It’s a lot easier to swap for stars than it is to add them. To me, his only negative is that he’s a $25M player, not a $41M for this Lakers team.
Lebron will be asking everybody for help once again
The Lakers are a dumpster fire, and until LeFlop leaves or retires, the team will be handcuffed by him and his ridiculously horrible player/GM “skills,” as nothing can get approved without Bron, Bron’s man-child approval.
Most teams that have stars, give them extra rejection rights.
This is proof Rob is doing his job and trying to upgrade.
While everyone else thinks this is a game of creating a roster space and free up money, I think this is the setup for a 3 team trade.
Basically, the Pacers said, “M.Turner for ThT works, but we don’t want Bazemore and Jordan. We want Nunn or Monk.”
So now Rob has to see if he can get draft picks or a suitable solution from a 3rd team.