After making no moves at the trade deadline, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka promised to scour the buyout market to improve the team.
With the Lakers in ninth place in the Western Conference after losing nine of their last 12 games, the front office finally intends to tweak the roster: A person with knowledge of the team’s intentions confirmed that the Lakers intend to waive veteran center DeAndre Jordan and sign guard D.J. Augustin. The forthcoming move was first reported by The Athletic.
Augustin will give the Lakers another ball-handler and shooter. The 34-year-old in his 14th season played 34 games with the Houston Rockets this season, averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 assists in 15 minutes per game while shooting 40.6% from 3-point range.
At 5-foot-11, he likely won’t offer much support to the Lakers’ defense which is ranked 14th (110.3 defensive rating) in the league. But Augustin has played under Lakers coach Frank Vogel, and he gives the Lakers another ball-handling option around LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, who combined for 14 turnovers in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
In unloading Jordan, 33, the Lakers wrapped up the brief era that saw him begin the season as a starter before falling out of the rotation. Jordan averaged 4.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 19 starts, but lackluster defense and constricted spacing convinced the coaching staff to reduce his minutes. He had not played in 22 of the team’s last 27 games, ousted from the rotation in favor of the older Dwight Howard.
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Unfortunately, Jordan’s time with the team will end on a sour note: On Sunday night in his first action since Feb. 5, Jordan tossed a full-court pass that landed well past the baseline into the courtside seats for a turnover that went viral following their 123-95 loss.
ESPN reported that the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue Jordan in the buyout market. Jordan’s most successful tenure came under 76ers coach Doc Rivers. The Sixers also coincidentally have a pattern of going after Lakers big men: Howard and Andre Drummond played for the 76ers immediately following their Lakers tenures in the past two seasons.
The move shortens the frontcourt depth for the Lakers, but The Athletic also reported they intend to sign Wenyen Gabriel, a 24-year-old, 6-foot-9 forward who has played seven games this season with the Clippers and Brooklyn Nets. A native of Sudan who played at Kentucky, Gabriel is expected to take one of the Lakers’ two-way contract slots now occupied by forward Sekou Doumbouya and guard Mason Jones.