{"id":151326,"date":"2025-07-21T02:09:57","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T06:09:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=151326"},"modified":"2025-07-21T02:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T06:20:18","slug":"the-lakers-waive-guard-after-trade-talks-have-no-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/07\/21\/the-lakers-waive-guard-after-trade-talks-have-no-room\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lakers Waive Menace After Trade Talks, Have No Room"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s been just over a day since Shams Charania of ESPN announced the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> will sign Marcus Smart<\/a> once he clears waivers. That deal forced the Lakers to waive Shake Milton<\/a>, and now the team waive emerging guard Jordan Goodwin<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n

The Lakers Waive<\/strong> Menace, Jordan Goodwin After Trade Talks, Have No Room<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Goodwin Stepped Up When Needed<\/h3>\n
\"The
Apr 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin (30) shoots against Houston Rockets center Jock Landale (2) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2019s best point-of-attack defender, filling the vacuum left by Max Christie\u2019s<\/a> departure. Jarred Vanderbilt<\/a> struggled with injuries, so Goodwin seized his chance.<\/p>\n

Solid Defense, But Offense Fell Short<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s 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<\/a> percentile. His offense just wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Lakers Weighed a Consolidation Trade<\/h3>\n

Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints<\/em> speculated earlier about a possible consolidation trade in one of two scenarios: move Maxi Kleber<\/a> or Gabe Vincent<\/a> with Dalton Knecht<\/a> now \u2014 when prices are high and Knecht\u2019s value is at its lowest \u2014 to keep Goodwin. Or waive Goodwin and hold onto those assets closer to the deadline for a bigger return.<\/p>\n

Trade Talks Went Nowhere<\/h3>\n

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\u2019t find any trade they liked.<\/p>\n

Brett Siegel revealed on X: \u201c<\/em>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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The Lakers had talked with multiple teams over the last 24 hours to try and free up some money without sacrificing significant draft assets.<\/p>\n

Trade discussions never advanced past initial conversation, sources said. <\/p>\n

Goodwin is a player the Lakers liked. https:\/\/t.co\/yrI6yY2UM3<\/a><\/p>\n

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) July 21, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n