Lakers Signing New Guard Following Active Trade Deadline

Los Angeles has had a busy week.

Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at midcourt Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 30-19 Los Angeles Lakers have had a busy week — and it's not over yet.

More Lakers: Lakers Trade Dalton Knecht for New Starting Center Mark Williams

Per Shams Charania of ESPN, L.A. is inking free agent guard Jordan Goodwin, who's been with the club's South Bay Lakers G League affiliate, to a new two-way contract. The Lakers will waive wing Armel Traore to accommodate Goodwin.

Lakers are waiving Armel Traore to pick up Goodwin, sources said. https://t.co/Ny178seZzH

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2025

Although adding Goodwin ranks somewhat below "trading for a franchise-altering superstar hot off an NBA Finals appearance and in or still approaching his prime" (that'd be the team's move to add five-time All-NBA ex-Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic, 25) and "trading for a rim-rolling young starting center with the tallest standing reach in the league" (that'd be L.A.'s decision to bring in 23-year-old former Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams), it's still a nice bit of business of L.A.

More Lakers: LeBron James Reacts to Lakers' Massive Trade to Land Charlotte Hornets Center Mark Williams

The 6-foot-3 combo guard out of Saint Louis, 26, has suited up for three previous NBA franchises since the 2021-22 season. He played for the Washington Wizards from 2021-22, then split the 2023-24 season between the Phoenix Suns and Memphis Grizzlies.

He split his D.C. tenure between the Wizards and their G League club, the Capital City Go-Go. During his 45 combined Tip-Off Tournament and regular season games in 2021-22, Goodwin averaged 15.9 points on .415/.285/.772 shooting splits, 6.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals a night.

All told, in 121 NBA berths (19 starts) so far, Goodwin boasts averages of 6.4 points on .405/.308/.758 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals a night.

He's been turning heads in the G League this season, however.

Across 17 combined Tip-Off Tournament and G League bouts for South Bay, Goodwin has been averaging 13.8 points on .423/.314/.714 shooting splits, 5.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists (against a concerning 1.7 turnovers), and 1.8 steals a night.

As far Traore goes, the 6-foot-9 forward played in eight games for South Bay (six starts). He logged similar averages of 13.3 points on .513/.344/.563 shooting splits, 8.0 boards, 1.4 assists a night. He's now an unrestricted free agent, but a return to South Bay as an affiliate player is certainly not out of the question if he can't latch on with another team through a two-way contract.

More Lakers:

Luka Doncic's Lakers Debut Reportedly Delayed

Did the Lakers Win the Mark Williams Trade?

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