Blinksportsnews247The Los Angeles Lakers are sorry to have signed Gabe Vincent to a $33 million, three-year contract during his free agency. Despite having only appeared in five games with the Lakers, he assisted the Heat in their 2023 run to the NBA Finals. Vincent will require knee surgery and won’t be able to return until February. With five losses in a row, his squad might not have much time to spare.
Vincent might not be well enough for the Lakers to try to trade him before the trade deadline. With two years remaining on his contract and fresh off knee surgery, no team will be willing to trade for a guard. He would have to act as a salary-matcher for Rob Pelinka and colleagues, but even that won’t be simple.
Although Vincent’s inability to remain on the floor is undoubtedly regrettable, who else could the Lakers have signed? These five seem like tempting alternatives.
Kevin Love
Love and King James were teammates in Cleveland for four years. They appeared in four NBA Finals and won the only championship ever for the Cavaliers. Love was always willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the club and understands LeBron well.
The 6’8 big man signed a two-year, $7.8 million deal with the Heat after being an unrestricted free agent in the 2023 summer. In the summer of2024, he will have a player option. Love helped Miami go to the NBA Finals last season after joining them in the buyout market. Though it might not have been easy, his friend’s convincing might have been enough to get him to go.
They could have increased their experience, court spacing, and rebounding by paying almost the veteran minimum to sign Kevin Love. Although the 35-year-old can no longer play large minutes, he is a reliable rotation player with winning instincts. Love is still playing well in his role, averaging 18.7 minutes per game.
When Eric Gordon Gordon signed a two-year, $6.5 million deal with the Suns, many considered him to be one of the steals of the offseason. The 6’3 guard desired to play in Phoenix alongside Devin Booker and Kevin Durant in order to pursue his first title.
Gordon is already dissatisfied with his position, and the team is having trouble. Although injuries have been a factor, their inconsistent roster structure hasn’t been beneficial.
In terms of 3-pointers attempted and made this season, the Lakers rank 28th. Another ball-handling, offensive-running floor spacer would be ideal for them. Gabe Vincent was supposed to play this part, but he won’t be able to play it for most of the season.
In 31.7 minutes per game, Gordon is averaging 13.2 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steal for the Suns. He is making 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers and 45.7 percent of his field goals. Although both are over his career averages, Los Angeles would have also provided a lot of opportunities for open shots.
Eric Gordon was available to the Lakers for a much lower price than Vincent, and the team would have received more offensive output. The 35-year-old can still hold his own even though his defense has declined a little. Gordon would provide Los Angeles with the dependable alternative that it sorely needs.
Jones, Derrick Jr.
In Dallas, Jones Jr. is enjoying a breakthrough year. In the offseason, he inked a $2.7 million one-year contract with the goal of increasing his worth by the summer of 2024. Luka Doncic is giving his role players open shots, and Jones Jr. is making the most of them by averaging a career-high 10.4 points per game and shooting 36.7 percent from three-point range.
The 6’5 forward’s offensive skill has improved since joining the Mavs, despite his reputation for defense. He was more famous for his dunks than his productivity, and he had never shot better than 33.8 percent from three-point range. Despite playing an end-of-the-bench position, DJJ assisted the Heat in making it to the NBA Finals during the bubble. The 26-year-old is eager for more postseason action as he is just starting to reach his prime.
Derrick Jones Jr. would be ideal for the Lakers to have on a minimum deal at this time. His shooting % has increased for the past four years, though there’s no telling if it would have increased that much in Los Angeles. The Lakers blew the opportunity to gain from an impending surge.
Although they wouldn’t have had the playmaker, Derrick Jones Jr. would have been an excellent 3-and-D wing to use off the bench. Playing Austin Reaves more as a point guard would be necessary, but having DJJ generate is preferable to Gabe Vincent’s five games played prior to the trade deadline.
Jeff Green and LeBron James were teammates on the 2018 Cavaliers, who were defeated in the NBA Finals. It wasn’t until 2023, during his 15th NBA season with the Nuggets, that the 6’8 forward won his first championship.
In free agency, he accepted a two-year $16 million deal from the Rockets as Houston attempted to contend once more. The 2024–25 season is a club choice, and they realized they required seasoned leadership.
At this point in his career, the 37-year-old can only play 15 to 20 minutes per game, but he is a connection. Regarding his touches or minutes, Green won’t gripe. He enjoys being the team’s veteran voice in the locker room and winning games. The enormous salary thrilled the 6’8 forward, but he might have been persuaded to sign with the Lakers for slightly less.
Although Jeff Green lacks Gabe Vincent’s playfulness and youth, the veteran may have made a significant contribution as a role player. He had great memories of performing with King James and may have traveled to Los Angeles had the G.O.A. made contact with him. Had he remained healthy and stayed in Los Angeles past the trade deadline, his effect would have been bigger than that of Vincent’s five games played thus far. However, the 6’3 guard will contribute more in the postseason.
Dennis Schroder
With Fred VanVleet’s departure, Schroder had a void in Toronto. He got a two-year, $25.4 million contract with the Raptors, but only after Gabe Vincent was acquired by the Lakers. Both parties wanted Schroder to stay in Los Angeles, but the team thought Vincent would be a better fit (subscription required).
In 32.1 minutes per game, Schroder is averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals for the Raptors. He has participated in all one of Toronto’s first 29 games of the season and is shooting 35.3 percent from three-point range. Ninety-three minutes is seven times what Vincent has already played for the Lakers.
At the trade deadline, the Raptors might be about to collapse, and the Lakers might be interested in repurchasing Dennis Schroder. In Los Angeles, the 6’1 guard would provide some much-needed offensive punch and playmaking. Playing off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, he is at ease and has the potential to be very effective.
Do the Los Angeles Lakers cut bait on Gabe Vincent before the Feb. 8 trade deadline? They will only do so if they can acquire an upgrade. There will be plenty of talent available, so stay tuned to see what the Lakers have in store.
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