The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly made their second transaction of this 2021-22 season, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania says the team has waived center DeAndre Jordan after a very disappointing season for him that began with him as a full-time starter. The move will open up a roster spot for the Lakers to sign guard DJ Augustin as Charania further explains. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the 76ers will be “aggressive in pursuit” of Jordan once they are able to acquire him.
The Los Angeles Lakers intend to waive DeAndre Jordan and sign free agent guard DJ Augustin, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lakers are bringing in a veteran, accomplished shooting PG to back up Russell Westbrook.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2022
Augustin will not be the only new player that the Lakers will reportedly be bringing in, as Charania also states that they will sign forward Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way NBA contract. The Lakers currently have Sekou Doumbouya and Mason Jones signed to two-way contracts, with the team needing to waive one of those players to make way for Gabriel.
The Lakers also intend to sign forward Wenyen Gabriel on a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Gabriel has had stints with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans this season, showing flashes of athleticism and versatility at 6-foot-9. https://t.co/XCCc1MxC2B
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2022
Despite DeAndre Jordan getting into the Lakers’ game loss last night against the Pelicans, he’s mostly been nowhere to be found in the past couple of months. He started for the team in 10 of the first 12 games of the season, starting in 19 of his 32 games played overall. He started a couple of games on December 19th and 21st, largely in part due to COVID-19 affecting a lot of players’ availabilities and the fact that Anthony Davis hurt his knee in the preceding game. Before that, he was benched at halftime of the November 30th Sacramento Kings game, as head coach Frank Vogel had seemingly had enough of his terrible defense and lack of athleticism he once displayed a long time ago in his career.
Augustin is a 14-year veteran of the NBA. He spent last season and this season with the Houston Rockets before they waived him earlier this month. In the one-and-a-half seasons with the Rockets, he averaged 17.1 minutes, 7.3 points, and 2.8 assists per game.
The Lakers will have to cut one of their current two-way players to do this. Wenyen Gabriel is the all-time record holder in the Lakers mentality pre-draft workout drill. https://t.co/8zGNs5I2zy
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) March 1, 2022
Wenyen Gabriel is in the third year of his career, going undrafted out of the University of Kentucky. If his name rings a bell, it’s probably because of the decent effort he put up against the Lakers in round one of the 2020 NBA Playoffs when he was playing with the Portland Trail Blazers. After that, Gabriel played a full 2020-21 season with the Pelicans, but he hasn’t found his way back to a full-time job with a team this season, playing a game for the Nets and six for the Clippers. He played around 47 minutes across those seven games.
Either way, the Lakers are beggars in these times, not choosers. Even if Gabriel is only a two-way player, they did address two areas of need in a backup point-guard and a lengthy wing.
But in terms of positivity, above all else, let’s thank the heavens for not having to watch DeAndre Jordan play basketball in the purple-and-gold anymore.
