LOS ANGELES – It’s been just over a day since Shams Charania of ESPN announced the Los Angeles Lakers will sign Marcus Smart once he clears waivers. That deal forced the Lakers to waive Shake Milton, and now the team waive emerging guard Jordan Goodwin, per Charania. Insiders have revealed that the Lakers were involved in trade talks over the last 24 hours to create wiggle room under their hard cap.
The Lakers Waive Menace, Jordan Goodwin After Trade Talks, Have No Room
Goodwin Stepped Up When Needed
Goodwin stepped up as a key rotation piece for JJ Redick late last season, playing 29 games and four playoff contests. He became the team’s best point-of-attack defender, filling the vacuum left by Max Christie’s departure. Jarred Vanderbilt struggled with injuries, so Goodwin seized his chance.
Solid Defense, But Offense Fell Short
It’s a necessary move but still disappointing for some fans of the purple and gold. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 18.7 minutes. He stayed active in passing lanes, finishing with 3.8 deflections per game. His defensive plus-minus sat in the 79th percentile. His offense just wasn’t enough. It was more about opportunity than lack of talent. He shot a career-best 38.2% from behind the arc. It would have been interesting to see if that season was an outlier or the new norm.
Lakers Weighed a Consolidation Trade
Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints speculated earlier about a possible consolidation trade in one of two scenarios: move Maxi Kleber or Gabe Vincent with Dalton Knecht now — when prices are high and Knecht’s value is at its lowest — to keep Goodwin. Or waive Goodwin and hold onto those assets closer to the deadline for a bigger return.
Trade Talks Went Nowhere
The Lakers had more time than expected to do a deal because he was officially released Sunday evening. They ended up waiving Goodwin after just a few hours. It appears they didn’t find any trade they liked.
Brett Siegel revealed on X: “The Lakers had talked with multiple teams over the last 24 hours to try and free up some money without sacrificing significant draft assets. Trade discussions never advanced past initial conversation, sources said. Goodwin is a player the Lakers liked.”
The Lakers had talked with multiple teams over the last 24 hours to try and free up some money without sacrificing significant draft assets.
Trade discussions never advanced past initial conversation, sources said.
Goodwin is a player the Lakers liked. https://t.co/yrI6yY2UM3
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 21, 2025
A Tough Spot Near the First Apron
It’s tough to pull off a fair-value trade when the entire league knows what you’re trying to do. A possible stumbling block was Pelinka’s reluctance to attach a second-round pick to move a contract. That happened last year with Christian Wood and Cam Reddish.
This move now puts the Lakers close (about $1.1 million) to the first apron cap they hit when they used the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia.
Missed Opportunity for Flexibility
A trade of Kleber, Vincent, or Knecht could have shed enough salary to add one of the remaining intriguing free agents. Dead-on-arrival trade talks ultimately cost the Lakers Goodwin, a signing, and flexibility under their hard cap.
© Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images
