The Los Angeles Lakers waived Troy Daniels recently, and now most are speculating that this was done to make room for Dion Waiters. The past week saw multiple sources alleging that the purple and gold were in discussions with the 28-year-old, although nothing has been made official.
But it appears the Lakers are in no rush to fill up that open slot. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, head coach Frank Vogel mentioned that they have no imminent plans to add a new player. Rather, the move was more of a measure if one of their players suffers an injury. It was more of added flexibility on their part, meaning Waiters is still open to join any team.
But the Lakers have not completely shut down the possibility. In fact, Waiters will be working out with the Lakers this Monday, ESPN reported. If the 6-foot-3 shooting guard makes a good impression, there is a chance that he could fill up that spot. That is unless the Lakers divert their attention on some other players who recently got cut.
Allen Crabbe, Anthony Tolliver, and Tyler Johnson are other free agents available in the market. However, only Waiters seems to have gotten a workout invite. There was no mention of LeBron James influenced since both were teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2014-15 NBA season.
Waiters have had a rough 2019-20 NBA season with the Miami Heat. He was suspended three times and was eventually traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. The fourth overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft has played only three games this season, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and assist. Waiters owns career averages of 13.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds.
A potential stint with the Lakers will not be promising for Waiters. However, it does give him a good chance to win an NBA title even if he spends more time on the bench. That opportunity will depend on how well he impresses during the workout. A decision should be made soon since the signing of eligible players heading into the postseason.
Worth noting here is that adding Waiters would just be for added firepower. James will take on that role, meaning the Lakers want more shooters to make up for the likely drop in point production from the three-time NBA champion. Of the free agents in the market, Waiters makes the most sense. But the next question is, will he be behaving or cause more headaches to the purple and gold?
