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The Los Angeles Lakers will waive Troy Daniels, according to a report by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Sunday.
Once Daniels clears waivers, he’ll be eligible to sign with a playoff team because he was waived before the March 1 playoff waiver deadline. Daniels appeared in 41 games for the Lakers and averaged 4.2 points per game on 39.2% shooting from the field, including 35.7% from behind the arc.
Daniels seemed to really enjoy being part of the camaraderie in the Lakers’ locker room, but he had a hard time knocking the 3-ball down at an efficient rate, which is the main reason Los Angeles signed him last summer. Without a reliable 3-point jumper, it was going to be nearly impossible for Daniels to crack Frank Vogel’s rotation, especially with the amount of competition at both guard spots.
Hopefully Daniels benefits from a change of scenery and lands on a team that will play him meaningful minutes ahead of his unrestricted free agency this summer.
The Lakers now have an open roster spot to sign a free agent before the start of the postseason. Over the last month, they’ve been linked to free agent guards Dion Waiters and J.R. Smith. The Lakers reportedly have plans to meet with Waiters for a second time on Monday, however, they’re not expected to sign anyone in the immediate future.
As Vogel told reporters, Lakers have no imminent plans to add another player. They still plans to meet w/ Dion Waiters, per source, but now Lakers can react should an injury occur, or perhaps add another ballhandling guard/playmaker later. Rob Pelinka plans to take his time.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 1, 2020
The two biggest needs for the Lakers going into the postseason are the same needs they’ve needed all season: A big, wing defender and a guard that can create their own shot. With the lack of options for the former, it’s safe to assume they’ll pursue the latter over the next month.
The Lakers’ roster stands at 14, not including their two two-way players, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Devontae Cacok.
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