Floor-Spacing Former Laker, Ill-Fated Trade Addition, Opting for Retirement

He had a memorably brief run in Los Angeles.

April 5, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Alex Caruso (4) moves the ball as forward Mike Muscala (31) screens against Los Angeles Clippers guard Jerome Robinson (10) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

One-time former Los Angeles Lakers power forward/center Mike Muscala is hanging up his sneakers after an 11-year playing career, he informs Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

According to Muscala's dad, Bob, the 6-foot-10 big man intends to head back to school to earn a graduate degree in sports management, and to return to basketball as a coach or in a front office.

Selected with the No 44 pick out of Bucknell in 2013, Muscala Muscala’s father, Bob, informed Lorenzi that Mike plans to pursue a graduate degree in sports management, with an eye on continuing his basketball career in coaching and/or management.

Muscala tipped off his pro career playing for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-18, before he began the journeyman component of his league run. He suited up for the Philadelphia 76ers at the start of 2018-19 season, before being flipped to the L.A. Clippers near the trade deadline. Before he could play a single game for the Clippers, however, he was rerouted to the Lakers, in one of the stranger trades of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka's joint front office tenure. Muscala, a floor-spacing big man, was added to the Lakers in exchange for former No. 2 lottery pick Michael Beasley as well as talented post player Ivica Zubac, who even now is still the Clippers' starting center.

The Lakers gave up far too quickly on Zubac. Muscala, in just 17 games (four starts), averaged 5.9 points on .434/.368/.875 shooting splits, 2.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.6 blocks a night. After acquiring All-Star big man Anthony Davis that summer, Los Angeles struggled for two years to pair the Brow with a solid frontcourt big man, before the team ultimately made him their full-time center. Had he been playing next to a talented big like Zubac, still on a rookie deal, it may have benefitted all parties.

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