The Los Angeles Lakers reduced its squad to 13 players on Monday when it dismissed veteran point guard Quinn Cook. This gave them two places on the selection list to work for, and now they have occupied one of them for a short time. The Lakers signed a 10-day contract with Damian Jones, the team announced Friday. Jones, a five-year veteran, was voted No. 30 overall by the Golden State Warriors. He spent three seasons there before being traded to Atlanta. He spent the first part of this season with Phoneix Suns, but was dismissed. Now, the Lakers are adding it to meet a short-term need.
Anthony Davis remains out with a calf strain, and the Lakers are precariously small without him. Marc Gasol is the only other rotation player with a true central size, as a reserve center, Montrezl Harrell is only 6-8. Jones gives the Lakers another look, especially as a pick-and-roll finisher. Harrell excels in this area, but in different ways. While Harrell is the most skilled player, Jones, a big bouncing man of 6-11, finds it easier to catch lobs thanks to his greater catch radius and superior athletic ability.
But the fact that it is only a 10-day contract is informative. The Lakers had been linked to a number of other important men in the buying or trading market, including DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside. These would be additions for the entire season and, due to their reputation, they would expect significant roles. The Lakers may have been able to give them those roles in the regular season (although even that would be overkill when Davis returned), but when the postseason comes, there will simply be no minutes left for the centers if this list remains intact. Davis will play a significant number of minutes in the center in the playoffs, and Gasol and Harrell will absorb what remains.
Signing a big man without that reputation with a 10-day contract indicates that the Lakers have other priorities for their two squad spots. Although Jones can help replace Davis now, the Lakers are apparently operating under the assumption that he will be healthy in time for the playoffs and that, instead of using the spots to replace him, they should use those spots to complement him after your return. In other words, expect the Lakers to look for guards and wings in the takeover market, rather than another big man.
But with about a month until the end of the negotiation deadline, the Lakers will not be limited to the acquisition market. Their flexibility is limited thanks to the rigid limit, under which they currently have around $ 1.6 million in space, but unlike last season, the Lakers have a negotiable choice in the first round (2027) and a promising young man ( Talen Horton-Tucker) to offer in business if the right opportunity arises. The Lakers are technically required to carry only 14 players when the dust settles, so there are a variety of different paths they can take to improve their squad.
Dismissing Cook, a beloved presence in the locker room, was an indication that Rob Pelinka is not satisfied with the list in its current state. Jones will help the Lakers to manage in the short term, but he expects the Lakers to be aggressive in trying to improve in the long term in the trading and buying markets.