With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, attention around the league has shifted to the buyout market, and the Los Angeles Lakers are quietly doing their homework. According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, the Lakers are monitoring two names who could realistically help in limited but meaningful roles as the postseason approaches. Those names are Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith.
Thomas recently became available after being waived by the Brooklyn Nets, and his appeal is obvious. He is a proven high-volume scorer who can create his own offense, something the Lakers’ bench has sorely lacked all season. Thomas is averaging 15.6 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this year while shooting 39.9% from the field and 32.5% from three-point range.
Those numbers represent a down season compared to last year, when he put up 24.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 43.6% shooting from the field and 34.9% from deep. Even in a reduced role, Thomas has shown he can heat up quickly and swing a game offensively.
The Lakers’ interest makes sense when you look at the bigger picture. Their bench is averaging just 28.0 points per game, the lowest mark in the league. Adding Thomas would immediately address that weakness. He would not be asked to defend at a high level or close games consistently, but as a microwave scorer off the bench, his value is clear.
Thomas is also expected to be a high-value commodity on the buyout market, with multiple teams around the league monitoring his availability. Even in a down shooting year, his ability to generate offense quickly and carry scoring bursts off the bench makes him an attractive option for contenders in need of instant offense, meaning the Lakers will not be alone in exploring a potential move.
Highsmith represents a very different type of option. The former Miami Heat forward was traded to Brooklyn before the season and has yet to appear in a game due to injury, which has kept his name somewhat under the radar. Last season, Highsmith averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting 45.8% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range.
While not a high-usage player, he brings defensive versatility and positional flexibility that the Lakers could use off the bench.
Defensively, neither player is a cure-all for a Lakers team ranked 25th in defensive rating, but Highsmith offers more utility on that end. He can guard multiple positions and function as a small-ball or stretch forward, which gives the coaching staff lineup flexibility.
As Fadeaway World analyst Nico Martinez previously noted, Thomas and Highsmith were among the very few realistic candidates the Lakers could target with their final roster spot. Given the team’s limited flexibility after the deadline, the focus was always expected to be on buyout options who could fill a specific need rather than reshape the rotation entirely.
The Lakers did make one move before the deadline, quietly addressing one of their most glaring weaknesses. They traded Gabe Vincent and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luke Kennard, one of the most efficient perimeter shooters in the league. Kennard was averaging 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting an elite 53.8% from the field and a league-best 49.7% from three-point range this season.
That three-point percentage currently leads the NBA, a significant addition for a Lakers team that has struggled to generate reliable spacing all season.
But the Lakers also missed several major opportunities along the way. Despite holding multiple expiring contracts and a first-round pick that could have been consolidated into a more meaningful upgrade, the Lakers were unable to turn those deals into long-term contributors. The Lakers still walk away from this deadline as one of the bigger losers relative to expectations.
At 31-19 and fifth in the West, the Lakers are not searching for stars. They are looking for marginal gains. If they can turn their final roster spot into reliable bench scoring with Thomas or defensive balance with Highsmith, it could quietly matter in a playoff series where rotations tighten, and every possession counts.
