In conjunction with their decision to sign 25-year-old center Trey Jemison to a two-way contract, the Los Angeles Lakers are waiving undrafted rookie Quincy Olivari. A Lakers fan favorite, the Xavier product had flashed as a rotation-caliber player in Summer League and the preseason. This led to a two-way contract with L.A., though many felt that he could have signed a standard contract.
During the G League Showcase, Olivari played strong alongside fellow rookie Bronny James. In four games, he averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three.
Unfortunately, this didn’t lead to much opportunity with the Lakers. He played just 10 minutes during the regular season, despite all the trouble they’ve had with their backcourt. Lakers head coach JJ Redick wasn’t even willing to see how he would look beside Austin Reaves, though his skillset matched their exact needs.
Lakers Waiving Fan Favorite Illuminates Lackluster Decisions
To be clear, bringing Olivari into the rotation probably wouldn’t have made L.A. look indomitable. However, team basketball is all about finding the right combinations, not just the top talent. The Lakers should know this given their experiences with players like D’Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook. After what Olivari had shown, Redick’s lack of confidence in him was stunning but his decision-making was alarming.
Instead, the Lakers decided to promote Cam Reddish to the starting lineup once Russell was demoted. Reddish played quite well defensively but being a spot-up shooter isn’t natural to him. As he’s demonstrated throughout his basketball career, he’s more of an off-the-dribble scorer. Los Angeles is 5-3 with Reddish starting, which isn’t bad but it isn’t dominant either.
After Reddish, they tried out rookie Dalton Knecht, a solid outside threat but a porous on-ball defender. Then they gave Max Christie a look. Christie raised his play but although people have commended his defensive effort and technique, he allows frequent penetration, which puts his teammates at a disadvantage. The Lakers are 9-6 when he starts.
Not to be forgotten is Gabe Vincent, a defensive-minded guard but an unreliable three-point shooter. L.A. is 3-2 when he starts.
Again, Olivari might not have worked out. Nonetheless, to not even give him the chance when they tried several imperfect fits alongside Reaves was poor coaching.
Rob Pelinka’s Role
It’s not all on Redick though. While many are waiting or even hoping that they land a blockbuster player, the Lakers continue to make under-the-radar moves instead. It’s not too dissimilar from Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who isn’t capitalizing on his open championship window either.
Prior to the New Year, L.A. finally traded Russell, who was coming off the bench in a reduced role. In return, they received a package headlined by Dorian Finney-Smith, who has a fine reputation around the league but is a role player. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Russell was viewed as their best trade chip.
He’d shown himself to be unreliable in a featured role, at least in Los Angeles. Yet, he’s on an expiring contract after picking up his 2024-25 player option last offseason. A team looking for cap relief, could’ve seen him as a valuable commodity. For that reason, there’s doubt that the Lakers would be able to swing a trade for a player of Zach LaVine‘s caliber.
With Pelinka making marginal moves and Redick unable to put the puzzle pieces together, it’s anybody’s guess as to how their season turns out.
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