The Los Angeles Lakers could use some help at the guard position with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out for at least the next few weeks with hamstring and oblique strains, respectively. The return of veteran guard Marcus Smart on Friday was big, but right now, they only have two ball-handling guards who are deserving of significant playing time: Smart and Luke Kennard.
The Lakers are reportedly waiving Kobe Bufkin, a former first-round draft pick whom they called up from the G League earlier this season. Bufkin failed to produce, and his departure will create a roster spot. That will allow Los Angeles to add a player who would then become eligible to be a member of its playoff roster.
These five ball-handling guards are currently available and would be eligible for the playoffs if L.A. picked one of them up.
Cole Anthony
Anthony, who was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 draft, was consistently averaging double figures in scoring until last season when he dipped to 9.4 points in 18.4 minutes a game. This season, he appeared in 35 games with the Milwaukee Bucks and averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 assists in 15.1 minutes per game before being traded to the Phoenix Suns and getting waived in February.
He’s not the most efficient shooter overall, but he was a decent 3-point shooter during his first five seasons with the Orlando Magic.
Eric Gordon
Gordon, a 6-foot-3, 37-year-old guard, has long been a potent scorer in the NBA. In his first 16 seasons in the league, he averaged 15.7 points a game and shot 43% from the field and 37.1% from 3-point range, and it wasn’t until last season that he averaged less than 11 points per game.
He played in six games with the Philadelphia 76ers this season before he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies and subsequently waived. The former Sixth Man of the Year could still give the Lakers a capable 3-point shooter and someone who could put up points off the bench in certain situations.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie hasn’t played in the NBA this regular season. He was with FC Bayern Munich in Germany, but he left in January in order to return to the States and take care of a sick family member. He last played in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks last season.
The 6-foot-5 guard joined the Lakers two seasons ago off the buyout market, so he does have some familiarity with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes. He’s a low-percentage shooter, but he does have a career average of 5.1 assists a game.
Chris Paul
Paul joined the Los Angeles Clippers this past July, but he only lasted 16 games before they sent him home following a reported clash between him and coach Tyronn Lue. They traded him to the Toronto Raptors in February, and after the Raptors waived him, he announced his retirement.
Paul is nearing his 41st birthday and may not be able to contribute much anymore. With the Clippers this season, he averaged 2.9 points and 3.3 assists in 14.3 minutes a game while shooting 32.1% from the field. But one shouldn’t overlook his tight friendship with James. Could James and the Lakers try to talk Paul into postponing his retirement for a few more weeks?
Lonzo Ball
Ball is likely the most polarizing player on this list. While many have come to terms with the fact that he’s likely damaged goods by this point, some Lakers fans still buy into the outsized hype about Ball and believe that he would magically revive his career if he returned to Los Angeles.
The Chino Hills native never even came close to living up to his hype after he was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft out of the University of California, Los Angeles. But he was a lower-tier starting point guard and was capable of playing effective defense, creating pace and getting teammates involved until multiple injuries ruined his career. In 35 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, he put up 4.6 points, four rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 20.8 minutes a game, and he shot 30.1% overall and 27.2% from downtown.
He had missed two and a half seasons following a meniscus injury he suffered midway through the 2021-22 season. Since returning from that injury, he has played in a total of 70 games over the last two years. The Utah Jazz waived Ball after acquiring him in a Feb. 5 trade with the Cavaliers.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Five guards available for Lakers to sign after waiving Kobe Bufkin
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
