Former Lakers Forward Waived By Western Conference Rival

A forward who used to play for the Los Angeles Lakers has been waived by a Western Conference rival.

Oct 2, 2023; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Alex Fudge (17) speaks with guard D Moi Hodge (55) during media day at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

An NBA forward who began his career with the Los Angeles Lakers has unfortunately been waived by a conference rival.

According to a report from Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, Alex Fudge, a forward who made his debut in 2023 with Los Angeles, was waived after a season with the Dallas Mavericks. This was likely to make room for Kessler Edwards, who the Mavericks signed to a two-way contract.

The Mavs have signed Kessler Edwards to a two-way contract and they’ve waived former two-way forward Alex Fudge.

— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) August 8, 2024

This follows the Mavericks run to the 2024 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Fudge began his collegiate career at LSU where he played 29 games, averaging 3.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Fudge played in the 2022 NCAA tournament with the Tigers, but lost in the first round against Iowa State.

After his freshman year, Fudge transferred to Florida, where he averaged 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks across 32 games. He then declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.

After going undrafted, Fudge joined the Lakers for the 2023 NBA Summer League, averaging 3.0 points per game. After signing a two-way contract, he was later waived by Los Angeles. He then joined the South Bay Lakers.

Soon afterward, Fudge signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks. In the two games he played for Dallas, Fudge averaged 5.5 points per game, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals.

Edwards has a similar build and skillset as Fudge but has proven to be more effective in his career. In his three years at Pepperdine, Edwards averaged 13.3 points, 1.3 blocks, one steal, and 6.5 rebounds per game across 92 games.

During his time at Pepperdine, Edwards was named to the Western Coast Conference (WCC) All-Freshman Team, Second-team All-WCC, and First Team All-WCC, and won the College Basketball Invitational in 2021.

Drafted 44th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, Edwards split his time between the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings. During these three years, the forward averaged 3.5 points, two rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game across 138 games.

While there are plenty of similarities between the two forwards, it looks like Edwards has more of an upside, with more experience and a slightly more impressive resume.

So far, Fudge hasn't taken off in the NBA, but he hasn't really had the opportunity to do so. Hopefully, he'll find a team that's a good fit for him soon.

More Lakers: Los Angeles' Plan for Developing Bronny James Could Disappoint LeBron