Thursday, the Lakers declined Hood-Schifino’s $4.1M third-year choice for 2025-26. That makes the 21-year-old guard an unrestricted free agent on the finish of the season.
Hood-Schifino hasn’t performed a second for the Lakers this season, after averaging 1.6 factors in 21 video games throughout his injury-plagued rookie 12 months. He did play nicely within the G League, averaging 22 factors in 15 video games with the South Bay Lakers, the place he made 43.2% of his three-point makes an attempt.
However it’s nonetheless a shock that the Lakers are giving up on a first-round choose so shortly. Even after Hood-Schifino struggled with accidents to his knee and again final season, the Lakers determined that they’d want the flexibleness of an open roster spot and monetary respiratory room over having him on the crew.
It seems to be like an particularly unhealthy draft choose thought-about who was chosen round Hood-Schifino. The picks straight after the Indiana guard had been Jaime Jacquez, Jr. at No. 18 and Brandin Podziemski at No. 19, each who made the All-Rookie first crew final season.
One other issue is the presence of Bronny James on the Lakers roster. Not solely is the youthful James seemingly an even bigger precedence for rubbish time minutes, he has a assured four-year contract. For the reason that Lakers are already over the wage cap for subsequent season, with backup guards Max Christie, Gabe Vincent and James beneath contract, the group has determined they do not want one other challenge guard taking on a roster spot.
That might be a difficulty for the Lakers this season. They’re locked into roster spots for Bronny James, Cam Reddish and Christian Wooden this 12 months, plus the offensively-challenged Christie and Vincent. That is superb when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are wholesome and enjoying nicely, however the Lakers do not have numerous depth choices.
For Hood-Schifino, it possible means he is nicely out of head coach JJ Redick’s rotation this season. He’ll get the choice of discovering a extra promising state of affairs subsequent summer time, when he’ll have solely simply turned 22 years outdated.
The Lakers clearly blew their draft choose, however they’ve determined to maneuver on from their mistake as quickly as doable. The encouraging half? Dumping a 21-year-old prospect is a powerful indication LeBron James plans to return for his twenty second season.
Identical to after they drafted his son, maximizing LeBron stays the Lakers prime precedence.
