The Los Angeles Lakers are on the brink of being mathematically eliminated from the postseason for the sixth straight year. As such, the remainder of the season has mostly been dedicated to the development of healthy young players and seeing what the organization can find outside of its roster.
As G-League phenom Andre Ingram’s 10-day contract comes to an end, the Lakers have reportedly called up one of his developmental league teammates, South Bay Lakers point guard Scott Machado, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic:
The Los Angeles Lakers will sign guard Scott Machado to a 10-day contract, a league source told @TheAthleticNBA. Machado was recently named G League Player of the Week.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) March 20, 2019
Machado has been with the Lakers’ affiliate for the past two seasons. In his 45 games this year, the 28-year-old is averaging 16.4 points and 7.9 assists per game. He is shooting only 28.4 percent from 3-point land after hitting 40.5 percent of his attempts from behind the arc last season.
The Lakers have struggled with guard play since Lonzo Ball’s injury in January. Backup point guard Rajon Rondo has been disappointing and two-way player Alex Caruso has only just cracked the rotation and shown his promise.
Machado is an older player, not someone the Lakers are looking to develop. But seeing what he can produce in an NBA setting is a valuable exercise given his prowess in the G-League. At the very least, he could be an emergency option next year if injuries plague the team once again.
