Lakers News: Latest on JR Smith, Danny Green and More
The Los Angeles Lakers found a way to minimize the loss of Avery Bradley during the NBA's transaction window before the league restarts at the end of July in Orlando, Florida.
As expected, the Lakers nailed down a deal with veteran swingman JR Smith. Now the attention turns to how Smith will fit with LeBron James and Co. and how the rest of the players have started to get ready for travel and the regular-season sprint and playoffs.
Here's a look at the Smith deal and some of the biggest other Lakers-related notes.
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JR Smith
It took a little longer than anticipated for news of the signing to be announced, but Smith will indeed be a member of the Lakers in Orlando.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reported Monday Smith was expected to sign a deal. Wednesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed the deal and revealed the two sides had been talking about doing one since Bradley opted out of the season June 23.
Better late than never, as the Lakers get a veteran swingman with droves of Finals experience and proven on-court chemistry with LeBron himself. While Smith hasn't exactly shone since teaming with LeBron in Cleveland, he's still a career 41.9 percent shooter from the floor and 37.3 percent from deep.
Smith worked out with the Lakers in February, only for the team to go sign Dion Waiters. But given his wealth of postseason experience and his on-court history with James as a paint-clearing sharpshooter and creator, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him break into the rotation a notable amount, quickly.
Danny Green's Plans
One of the guys about to inherit a lot of pressure with a defender like Bradley absent from the lineup is Danny Green.
And he sounds more than ready to tackle the challenge.
Green appeared on Inside the Green Room with co-host Harrison Sanford and said he's looking forward to being the team's "primary defender" with Bradley out (h/t Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll):
"This is something I'm looking forward to. Obviously Avery made it easier for me on the defensive end of the floor. We were able to switch a lot, he also picks up 94 feet, but being able to take on that challenge night in and night out of being, hopefully, coach using me as the primary defender, is something I look forward to."
In his first season with the team in 2019-20, Green averaged 25.1 minutes and put up 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals, making for an interesting two-way threat, as he shot 41.9 percent from the floor and 37.8 percent from deep.
The Lakers might look for Green to pick up more of the slack in this area, as the newly signed Smith isn't exactly known for his defense and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and others will have to focus on scoring and/or enabling LeBron.
Alex Caruso's Expanded Role
Alex Caruso is another guy who might hear his name called more often with Bradley gone.
Caruso only put up an average of 17.8 minutes per game over 58 contests in 2019-20, but that could see an uptick as the Lakers head to the bubble.
The Texas A&M product appeared on SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt on Tuesday and said the following about the impending challenge: "For me, I'm looking forward to it just because I think I thrive in situations like that where you gotta get gritty and you kind of have to tough it out, you know, stuff that's not status quo and it's not normal."
With Bradley out and Smith perhaps needing some time to get acclimated to playing serious ball again, Caruso could play a big part in the final eight games of the regular season.
Over those 17.8 minutes, he averaged 5.4 points and 1.8 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the floor. He will have to prove quickly he's ready for expanded work and can both run the offense and enable the playmakers around him.
Whether it's an unexpected spot start or captaining the second team and protecting leads, Caruso could be one of those unheralded depth pieces who plays a big role in how things unfold in Orlando.
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