The Los Angeles Lakers opted to stand pat prior to the end of the NBA trade deadline. While they were linked to a potential deal for New York Knicks forward Marcus Morris, he’s headed to the other team that calls Staples Center home, while the Lakers let 3 p.m. pass without any major moves.
Now, their eyes will turn to the buyout market in the event that they will try to bolster their roster. Los Angeles has long been linked to a potential move for Darren Collison, who would theoretically come in to give their backcourt a boost should he opt to return to basketball after retiring this summer. But according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Collison isn’t the only backcourt veteran who has piqued the interest of the Lakers.
Stein brings word that J.R. Smith, who has been available since getting waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers over the summer, is expected to get a workout with the franchise sometime soon.
The Lakers are expected to give free agent guard JR Smith a post-trade deadline audition (perhaps as soon as next week) and remain favorites to sign Darren Collison if Collison elects to make a comeback to the NBA — in addition to potential pickups on the buyout market
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 6, 2020
Smith, of course, won a championship alongside LeBron James as a member of the Cavaliers, but a lot has happened in his career since then. Now 34, Smith hasn’t quite looked like himself over the last few years, and during 2018-19, his last season in Cleveland, he appeared in 11 games and connected on 30.8 percent of his triples. Having said that, Smith will get a chance to show Lakers brass that he can give the team something as a guard off the bench. Whether or not he is able to do that remains to be seen.
