Report: Former Indiana Player Jalen Hood-Schifino Will Have Option Declined

Jalen Hood-Schifino was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023, but his days in L.A. are numbered.

Oct 18, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield (7) knocks the ball out of the hands of Los Angeles Lakers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (0) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Jalen Hood-Schifino was a sensation in his one-and-done 2023 season at Indiana, but the good times have not carried into the NBA.

On Thursday, ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers will not pick up their $4 million option on Hood-Schifino at the end of the 2024-25 season.

While Hood-Schifino remains a Laker for now, he will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2025.

Hood-Schifino was taken 17th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. He moved up the draft board after a strong single season with the Hoosiers.

In 2023, Hood-Schifino averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Hoosiers. With Xavier Johnson injured, Hood-Schifino was sometimes in charge of the offense and did well in the role.

Mar 19, 2023; Albany, NY, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (1) against Miami Hurricanes guard Nijel Pack (24) during the second half at MVP Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

He was particularly good in the final 11 games of the 2023 season. He averaged 16 points and made 48.1% of his shots inside the 3-point arc. His best career Indiana performance was a 35-point outburst at No. 5 Purdue. Hood-Schifino drained 14 of 24 in that contest.

Hood-Schifino’s ability to create shots off the dribble made him attractive to NBA scouts, and the Lakers took the Pittsburgh native with their first available pick.

Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse for Hood-Schifino. He’s only played in 21 games for the Lakers, averaging 1.6 points.

He’s been plagued by injuries. It started with a knee injury that caused Hood-Schifino to miss the start of the 2023-24 season. Later, a back injury knocked Hood-Schifino out, and he had to have season-ending surgery in March.

Hood-Schifino was on the Lakers’ roster to start the 2024-25 season, but did not make any appearances. He was sent to South Bay in the G-League on Sunday.

Of the 2023 NBA Draft picks, only Jett Howard (taken 11th by Orlando) and Dariq Whitehead (taken 22nd by Brooklyn) have played fewer NBA minutes than Hood-Schifino.

Hood-Schifino remains with the Lakers organization through the end of the 2024-25 season. In declining the option for 2024-25, Hood-Schifino loses out on guaranteed money, but he will be able to sign with any NBA team may be interested in him.

With his salary set to expire at the end of the season, it is also possible Hood-Schifino could be involved in a trade without much risk to the team trading for him.

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