Amid all of the trades and signings they made, the Los Angeles Lakers are not done reshaping their roster. With the race for a top-five seed only heating up from here, a team insider says LA could waive two players before season’s end.
Lakers Insider: LA Expected to Move on From Two Veterans
Jovan Buha: LA May Waive Reddish and Len
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the team is expected to part ways with forward Cam Reddish and recently-signed center Alex Len.
https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1903456898361549118
Reddish signed with the Lakers in 2023, and many expected him to be a solid 3&D contributor off the bench. A combination of lingering injuries and underwhelming play halted those plans. Reddish averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds and one steal across 48 games last season. This year, he slid further down the depth chart, going from 20.5 to 17.8 minutes per game and putting up an average of 3.2 points and two rebounds across 33 games (eight starts). Reddish has played sporadically this year, evidenced by his two appearances since Jan. 28—which both came this month and after an awkward trade deadline with the rescinded Mark Williams deal. In his most recent appearance—against the Milwaukee Bucks on Mar. 20—he logged two points (1/4 FG), four rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes off the bench.
The 31-year-old Len had been signed to alleviate the Lakers’ issues with center depth following the Anthony Davis trade. However, similarly to Reddish, his stint has not gone as planned. The 7-foot journeyman has played eight games for LA (three starts), averaging 2.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 0.9 assists on 44% shooting from the field and 50% (1/2) from three. Though many believed he’d play backup to Jaxson Hayes, he’s been overshadowed in that role and replaced by Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison—who are both on two-way contracts.
Could Two-Way Guys Take Their Place?
If the Lakers indeed move on from Reddish and Len, their replacements could very well be in-house. Koloko, Jemison and Jordan Goodwin have all played solid enough to warrant consideration for a standard contract. Any pairing of them would be worthy of a promotion this late into the season.
Head coach JJ Redick has raved about his two-way players this year, telling Spectrum Sportsnet: “We’ve gotten incredible value out of those guys and love having them in our program.”
Jordan Goodwin
Goodwin, who made his fifth straight start on Thursday, now has just three active games left on his contract. The 26-year-old has made a great impression on Lakers brass, averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists on .484/.432/.857 splits. He has looked comfortable operating out of either guard slot, giving the purple and gold a defensive menace who can effectively control the offense and give them a spark with his shooting. With Goodwin already in the rotation, he is a lock for one of those standard spots should it become available.
Christian Koloko
Koloko returned to an NBA floor after dealing with a blood clot that sidelined him all of last season. Despite frequent foul trouble, the 24-year-old has served as a viable lob threat for the Lakers this year. In 34 games off the bench, he’s averaged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in nine minutes per contest, shooting 61% from the field and 80% from the free-throw line. He has nine active games remaining on his current deal.
Trey Jemison
Jemison has quickly become another fan-favorite due to his on-court play and enforcer mentality. Signed by LA in January, the 25-year-old has averaged 2.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.5 blocks on 54% shooting. Similar to Koloko, Jemison has flashed his strength and athleticism, in addition to some impressive defense. He has also become a team energizer off the bench, critical for a team that needs healthy bodies. At the time of writing, Jemison has eight active games remaining on his two-way contract.
The Last Word
With the Lakers ravaged by the injury bug and the postseason fast approaching, it’s clear that changes are in order. Moving on from Reddish and Len while giving well-deserved promotions to their two-way players can significantly boost the team as the regular season winds down.
© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
