Thought Starter...
The Lakers reportedly won’t pick up the third year option on last season’s #1 draft pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino. This is, unquestionably, an unusual move. Teams will sometimes choose not to pick up fourth-year options, but a third year? It’s definitely the exception to the rule. So why are the Lakers going in this direction? First and foremost, it seems to be about roster flexibility. Perhaps over the summer, where not having $4 mil or so guaranteed for JHS makes it significantly easier for the Lakers to shed enough salary to use their full mid-level exception. Likely, the Lakers are thinking about this season, and the ability to move JHS as part of a trade. Clearly they’re calculating that dangling him on an expiring contract will have more value than the opportunity for a team to take a chance on his talent.
That, to say the least, is not a ringing endorsement of JHS’s development, but is it also a commentary on the state of the roster more broadly? If the Lakers thought they had appealing pieces to package, would they do this? If Gabe Vincent had appeal? Or Max Christie? Certainly they’re familiar with the (lack of) market for D’Angelo Russell. Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played in a while. And so on.
And what does this mean about the team’s recent track record in drafting? Or the grand plans around player development?
It’s an interesting move for the Lakers to say the least, but one that raises some red flags.
Three Questions...
1. How do the Lakers respond tonight in Toronto, following their worst game of the young season?
2. At what point does the bench kick in and contribute?
3. What needs could the Lakers realistically fill with a trade?
