LA Lakers Cut Candidate Clears NBA Waivers

Another stint goes down as short-lived for the former Detroit Pistons guard, Shake Milton.

Recently, the Los Angeles Lakers waived Milton in order to make room for their Marcus Smart acquisition.

Milton just wrapped up a 30-game run in LA. He saw the court for 12 minutes per game off the bench. Milton averaged four points, two rebounds, and one assist per game, while shooting 44 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc.

On Tuesday, Milton officially cleared waivers. He’s now an NBA free agent.

Mar 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton (20) charges the basket against Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez (11) during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images | Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

During the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Pistons acquired Milton for a very brief stint. After he appeared in 38 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pistons picked up Milton ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Since the Pistons were in the midst of a 14-win season, the Milton pairing didn’t seem like a logical fit.

At that point in time, any veteran with playoff experience made more sense on another team’s roster. Milton fit the bill. Prior to his run with the Timberwolves, the veteran guard appeared in four playoff runs with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Pistons did Milton a solid and worked out a buyout with the veteran. Before Milton hit the free agency market, he appeared in four games for the Pistons. He averaged seven points, five rebounds, and two assists per game.

Once he hit the free agency market, Milton signed with the New York Knicks. He would play out the remainder of the season with the Knicks, but was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last summer. Milton had a 27-game run in Brooklyn before getting dealt to the Lakers.

Would a Reunion Make Sense?

Milton is an interesting name to consider for the Pistons at this point. While he’s best suited as a shooting guard, he has ball-handling experience and could bring some competition to the backup point guard position after the loss of Dennis Schroder.

When Milton became a rotational regular for the Sixers, he posted averages of 10 points, three assists, and two rebounds, while shooting 37 percent from three in four seasons.

Since his Philly days, Milton hasn't averaged more than 18 minutes on the court. He proved to be productive with the proper playing time in the past. Plus, he brings playoff experience to the table.

For the time being, the Pistons are likely to roll with a combination of Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert, and potentially Marcus Sasser when Cade Cunningham is off the court. If that plan doesn’t reach its potential, the Pistons could start looking at a target like Milton to bring in.

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