Lakers News: LA Champ To Be Waived By Current Team, Will Hit Free Agency

Is a reunion in the works?

Could your Los Angeles Lakers use their 14th roster spot on a reunion with a former 2020 LA champion?

He's very, very available now.

Per Marc Stein, 35-year-old rim-running Dallas Mavericks center JaVale McGee will be waived and stretched by his latest club by August 31st. Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Dallas will use the roster space to re-sign yet another former 2020 LA title-winning big man, Markieff Morris.

Stein provides the caveat that the two years and $11.7 million remaining on McGee's current contract could still be packaged in a trade prior to August 31st. One way or another, his time with Dallas is over.

Keith Smith of Spotrac writes that, with McGee now exercising his 2024-25 player option, his deal will be stretched out over the course of five years and $2.3 million.

LA has long been rumored to be looking for a big man to add via the 14th spot on its standard 15-man roster. The team will reportedly keep one opening available for flexibility in trades during the 2023-24 season.

Could McGee be a fit? He is now a shadow of the excellent, hyper-athletic two-way rim-rolling lob threat he was in his prime, a utility player who won three championships with the Golden State Warriors and Lakers.

The seven-footer out of the University of Nevada inked a three-year, $17.2 million deal with Dallas last summer, but underwhelmed during what will turn out to have been his only season with the club. In 42 games (seven starts), he averaged 4.4 points on 64% field goal shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 0.6 blocks across 8.5 minutes a night.

It's even a far cry from his Lakers years, 2018-20, when he averaged 9.4 points on 62.8% shooting, 6.7 boards, 1.7 blocks, 0.6 steals and 0.6 assists in 19.6 minutes a night.

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