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The Lakers officially gave up on Quinn Cook on Wednesday, meaning the team now have two open spots on the roster and are far enough from the cap to add two players to the veterans’ minimum deals for the remainder of the season and the playoffs. . Will the team do it? Almost certainly, but according to head coach Frank Vogel, nothing is necessarily imminent.
“We will always look for opportunities to improve our team, but nothing concrete at the moment,” said Vogel ahead of the team’s loss to Jazz.
Vogel was specifically asked about the possibility of the Lakers adding players on 10-day contracts, which the team could do in order, in essence, to check out a few options on a hire before committing to signing them for the rest of the season. NBA teams can sign 10-day offers twice per season before they have to decide whether to let them go or sign them for the remainder of the season.
A more likely option, however, could be for the Lakers to wait until closer to the March 25 trade deadline, when they could either attempt to strike a deal – something they have reportedly discussed – or try to recruit. players that would be bought. immediately, or traded and waived. This would prevent the team from getting immediate help as they try to survive the absences of Dennis Schröder and Anthony Davis, but Schröder is expected to be back for their next game, and Davis likely shortly after the All-Star break. next week. They don’t necessarily need to plug the holes right away, and let’s face it: no player available right now can make up for those absences, anyway. Sorry, Dion Waiters. The Lakers had better wait, even though that losing streak was a draw.
But if you want something more specific than all of that, Vogel isn’t your guy. When asked what type of needs the Lakers might seek to meet with potential additions to their roster in outline, he closed the question.
“We’re just looking at the available players. I’m not going to discuss the types of needs that we discuss internally, ”Vogel said.
This is completely understandable, because after all, the Lakers have no incentive to shake hands publicly. However, it does mean that we will remain in the dark about their intentions for a bit longer. That said, while it would be foolish to assume that Lakers fans will be “reassured” of anything just yet – have you seen the social media and comments section on this site during their losing streak current? – they should at least be aware that the Lakers got rid of Cook because they want to get better. It was clear listening to what Vogel had to say.
“He will certainly be missed. First of all, he’s a hell of a basketball player. We had depth in this position and that’s the only reason he didn’t sign up, but I had a lot of confidence in his ability, ”Vogel said of Cook. “And it’s a 10 out of 10 culture that fits our group. Understands his role, and you need guys like that. When you’re filling out a list, you need guys who are willing not to play, but still willing to contribute when your number is called, and he illustrated that as well as you can.
“He did a great job for us and we certainly wish him luck.
But the Lakers haven’t said goodbye to such a beloved teammate as you’ll find in the NBA because they’re happy with the way they’re playing. They wished Cook the best of luck because, despite all of Vogel’s platitudes, they want to improve their basketball team. Even though it’s not yet clear how they’re going to do it, at least they’ve made it clear that they’re going to try.
Because the reality is that Cook was a Friendship MVP. But as Kobe Bryant once said, “Friends can come and go, but the banners are hanging forever.” It’s safe to say that his former agent and best friend, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, is well aware of this philosophy as he makes sure this team maximizes their chances of repeating.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast on itunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google podcasts. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.
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