Lakers' Updated Roster, Starting Lineup After Reported DeAndre Jordan Contract

DeAndre Jordan is expected to sign a one-year, $2.6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers when he clears waivers, per Stadium and The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The Brooklyn Nets traded Jordan to the Detroit Pistons, who agreed to buy out the remainder of Jordan's contract, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

A team can claim Jordan, but that appears highly unlikely, per Wojnarowski.

"Once the buyout agreement is signed, Jordan will have to clear waivers before becoming a free agent and signing with the Lakers," the ESPN reporter wrote. "His contract terms make it virtually impossible for Jordan to be claimed by a team."

Therefore, it appears Jordan will be playing in purple and gold next year. Here's how the starting lineup and bench could look with Jordan on the team.

     

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Russell Westbrook

SG: Wayne Ellington

SF: LeBron James

PF: Anthony Davis

C: DeAndre Jordan

     

Bench

PG: Kendrick Nunn, Rajon Rondo

SG: Malik Monk, Wesley Matthews, Joel Ayayi, Austin Reaves

SF: Kent Bazemore, Talen Horton-Tucker

PF: Carmelo Anthony, Trevor Ariza

C: Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol

     

Notes

Obviously, the only starting lineup questions are at shooting guard and center surrounding the big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.

Look for Ellington to start at shooting guard. No one on the current roster shot better from three last year than Ellington, who hit 42.2 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

The Lakers need a sharpshooter able to hit open shots that Westbrook, James and Davis will create, and Ellington fits the bill. The veteran started 31 of his 46 games last year for the Pistons and averaged 9.6 points per game.

Monk should be the team's top backup there. The 23-year-old shot a career-high 40.1 percent from three-point range last year, up from 28.4 percent the year before. He also shot 43.4 percent from the field for the second straight year.

The Lakers can go in any number of different directions at starting center, but the best route may be to input Jordan as the starter with Howard as the top backup.

Jordan may not stretch the floor offensively, but he's always remained efficient and productive. He averaged 7.5 points on a career-high 76.3 percent shooting and 7.5 rebounds in just 21.9 minutes per game.

The Lakers turned to JaVale McGee as their starter and Dwight Howard as their backup during the 2019-20 title season, and they could run that back with Jordan replacing McGee.

Like Jordan, Howard was very efficient in limited time in 2020-21, finishing the year with 7.0 points on 58.7 percent shooting and 8.4 rebounds for the Philadelphia 76ers. He and Jordan could each play about 20 minutes a game to stay fresh in the latter portions of their careers, finishing alley-oops and gobbling up rebounds on a nightly basis.

Injuries have curtailed Gasol's last two seasons, and he also tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020-21. That has naturally hindered his on-court play, and he averaged just 5.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last year.

Gasol is clearly capable of better play, but he will also turn 37 years old in January. His best days are clearly behind him, and he might be best coming off the bench in a pinch if needed.

Ultimately, this Lakers team has a lot of depth thanks to their boatload of veterans on one-year deals. They may not have any superstars outside the big three, but this roster construction could very well be good enough for a second NBA title in three years.