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WAITERS ISLAND LIVES: It was reported yesterday that the Lakers would be picking up Dion Waiters for the home stretch of their season, a move that isn’t too surprising considering there had been a lot of scuttle regarding L.A.’s interest in the enigmatic 2-guard since his release by the Grizzlies. On top of the money still owed to him by Memphis, Waiters will make just north of $503,000 from the Lakers, a minimum salary that would be easy for Los Angeles to waive if the former Heat guard acts up at any point this season.
Of course, there’s a chance that happens since Waiters was suspended on three separate occasions by Miami this year, but after meeting with him and his agent, Rich Paul, multiple times recently, the Lakers were convinced Waiters is focused and won’t become a locker-room problem.
If Los Angeles gets the peak version of Waiters, they’ll be acquiring a tough shot-maker who can create plays for others as well as defend at a decent level off the bench. For a contender as loaded as the Lakers, Waiters could be a luxury as a reserve, especially if he looks like the rendition Miami got in 2016-17. But even if they don’t, and Waiters proves to be a problem behind the scenes again, they can just cut him and take a minor cap hit for their troubles.
Solid gamble there for the Lakers.
KNICKS PLOTTING: According to a report, the Knicks could be looking at making a move for future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul over the offseason. Oklahoma City already has a treasure trove of draft picks, but if they can get even more from New York in a Paul trade, they would at least have to consider it.
Paul is owed $41.4 million next season and $44.2 million the year after, and with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s absurd development so far, the Thunder have even more reason to consider such a trade.
ANOTHER FORWARD: The Rockets recently worked out a former player of theirs, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute. He would give Houston yet another traditional forward who could play small-ball center.
DELAYED DEBUT: There’s a chance recently acquired center Clint Capela doesn’t play a game for the Hawks this season due to his foot injury, and even if he does, he’ll have a strict minutes cap.
OFFSEASON PREVIEW: We broke down how the summer of 2020 is shaping up, including what teams have the most cap space, and what they could do to maximize it.
IMPROVED STROKE: Lonzo Ball is shooting a career-high 37.9 percent from three this year. Here’s how Ball and the Pelicans were able to fix his shooting stroke.
FAN FAVORITE: Tacko Fall used to dislike the attention, but now he’s embracing his role as a fan favorite and human victory cigar.
NEW INJURY STRATEGIES: The NBA has shifted its injury recovery plans to be as player-friendly as possible, and a lot of that has to do with the falling out between Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs due to contrasting opinions on his injury.
PLANNING AHEAD: Not only did Kobe Bryant’s tragic death lead to fans all over the world mourning, but it also led to a spike in the volume of life insurance submissions in the States.
AWESOME GESTURE: NBA 2K20 added a 15-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient as a playable athlete in the game, the first time that’s happened in the series’ long history.
CAUTIOUS BUT LIVING: The Hornets aren’t letting the recent coronavirus scare affect their interactions with fans, as they fully plan to continue signing autographs and interacting with the people that pay to see them.