The Los Angeles Lakers got off to a slow start this offseason, but have started to get more active after many of the initial big moves happened. The team recently added Marcus Smart, which has led to some roster tinkering.
The Lakers already moved on from Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin, and they weren’t done there. They announced that center Trey Jemison has also been waived.
Jemison joined the team last season and was also part of the South Bay Lakers. He ended up playing 22 regular-season games and averaged 2.6 points a game on 61.9% shooting from the field.
He came into the NBA as an undrafted free agent, but has been able to bounce around the league. He could get another chance with a different team before or during the season. The 6-foot-11 center could also get back on the Lakers’ radar at some point, but for now, he’s going to have to look elsewhere.
Was LeBron James Considering Mavericks?
The Lakers have a better idea of what they’re future is going to look like with Luka Doncic on the roster. However, LeBron James is a bit in limbo right now.
He’s no longer the face of the franchise, and his future in Los Angeles is murky. According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, James was considering joining up with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.
“While he opted in to the final year of his contract and does not appear to be an imminent trade candidate, as our Joe Vardon and Dan Woike reported here, that doesn’t necessarily mean returning to the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year deal was at the top of his wish list,” Hollinger wrote. “In particular, the whispers about him having eyes for Dallas — a place where he could have teamed up with former teammates Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving and young phenom Cooper Flagg — before opting into his deal were hard to ignore.”
James May Want to Get Traded if He’s Going to Play Elsewhere
James is now likely to stick with the Lakers for now, but things could always change. Right now, he has a no-trade clause, which makes it more difficult for Los Angeles to make a move.
But if James wants to play elsewhere next season, getting traded might be the best way for him to maximize his value.
“Nonetheless, this situation bears watching from both sides, particularly if L.A. starts the regular season slowly,” Hollinger wrote. “The Lakers set themselves up to have max cap room next summer once James’ salary comes off their books, taking advantage of an artificially low cap hold for Austin Reaves. If that’s their angle, wouldn’t it make sense to cash in their James stock if they aren’t challenging at the top of the West? Meanwhile, James has some power to choose his next destination via a no-trade clause, but free agency isn’t what it used to be. The best realistic way for him to get paid next summer by his team of choice is to land at his preferred destination via trade, and then have intact Bird rights in the summer of 2026.”
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