Lakers News: Former LA Champ Officially Waived By West Team

A purple and gold return is definitely possible.

Thought to be a big piece of their rotation last offseason, the Dallas Mavericks parted ways with one of their 2022 summer signings making him eligible to sign elsewhere for the 2023 year. 

Big man Javale McGee was let go of by the Mavs on Tuesday this week and a move to sign the former champion could be on the way very shortly. 

The Dallas Mavericks have waived center JaVale McGee, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. McGee will be free to sign with a new team once he clears waivers.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 29, 2023

McGee always had athletic ability as both a rim runner and a shot blocker when he came into the NBA with the Wizards, but mental lapses and inconsistent play for some bad teams made him a laughingstock. 

Oftentimes, the center would end up on lowlight tapes and became the main punching bag for Shaquille O'Neal on TNT's Inside the NBA segments. 

To his credit, McGee rebounded in a big way. After some great seasons with the Nuggets, the former Nevada product found his way to Golden State in their title push. 

For his efforts, McGee played some valuable bench minutes for the Warriors in their iteration with Kevin Durant on the roster. His contributions gave McGee two championship rings and the NBA world finally saw his true value for a contender. 

Though never a starter for those championship level contenders, McGee's value as a paint defender and lob threat led him to the Lakers in 2020 where he would pair with Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard to clog the lane. 

McGee won yet another championship in the bubble with LA, but was not retained by the team in 2021.

Instead, McGee found his way to Phoenix where he again played bench minutes for the Suns' winningest team in franchise history in 2022. 

Though his tenure in Dallas wasn't exactly great, McGee's return back to LA could prove valuable once again with the franchise's sights set on banner #18. 

Are you following us on Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube yet? Join the conversation as we discuss the latest Lakers news and rumors with fans like you!