The Lakers have long searched for a ball-handling guard. While LeBron James is having a career-season taking over that role for the team, Rob Pelinka and the front-office knew that he wouldn’t do it alone. Countless trade talks fell flat over the course of the season and throughout the deadline, leading to some doubts that they would find anybody to help bolster their backcourt.
Today, they found their guy.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Lakers have agreed to a deal to bring Dion Waiters to the team for the rest of the season.
Free agent Dion Waiters has agreed on a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers for the remainder of the season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 5, 2020
Waiters was released by the Heat after a number of scandals surfaced over his tenure. An overdose on gummies, repeated “inappropriate” comments towards the coaching staff, and skipped practices led to the end of the line for his career in Miami.
The Lakers, clearly banking on his ball-handling and shot-creating abilities, decided to give him another chance under the leadership of LeBron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvQmhsWVB5g
It was a two-horse race for the final spot, one in which Waiters was competing against J.R. Smith. And while both have their problems, Waiters has the edge in being an all-around well-rounded player. It will be interesting to see how he performs in such a different landscape.
