After months of adding rookies and some promising young players, the Los Angeles Lakers have added an experienced guard to their training camp roster. The purple and gold signed Jordan Goodwin to an Exhibit 10 Contract Tuesday, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes.
Sources: Free agent guard Jordan Goodwin has agree to a camp deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. pic.twitter.com/MWyWPrCVO0
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) September 3, 2024
Lakers Sign Combo Guard to Exhibit 10 Deal
Background
Goodwin went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Memphis Grizzlies following a four-year career at St. Louis. After playing sparingly as a rookie, he quickly earned a spot in the Wizards’ rotation. He appeared 62 games (7 starts) his second year and averaged 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He was later dealt to the Phoenix Suns last June as part of the Bradley Beal trade and put up similar, underwhelming numbers in 40 games under head coach Frank Vogel. Goodwin finished out this past season with the Memphis Grizzlies, putting up solid numbers with the absence of Ja Morant. In 17 games (12 starts), the 25-year-old averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. However, he did so on inefficient .349/.311/.633 splits.
Third Exhibit 10 Contract for Lakers
The addition of Goodwin marks the third Exhibit 10 contract signing for the Lakers in the last few weeks. They previously added former Baylor big man Kylor Kelley and ex-Xavier sharpshooter Quincy Olivari to similar deals last month. Given their non-guaranteed status, the team could—and likely will—waive them before the season starts. The silver lining, though, is the bonus they receive if they join LA’s G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, and stay there for up to 60 days. If that happens, those players would be paid up to $75,000—a significant boost considering the average G-Leaguer’s salary of $40,500.
As for what’s next, the Lakers have officially filled out the 21 slots allotted for training camp, one small but notable change that comes with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. They enter the 2024-25 season with most of the same pieces from last year, seemingly convinced that running it back with a new head coach is better than losing key contributors in a trade.
