Lakers finalize deal to sign JR Smith as substitute player before Orlando restart, according to report

After Avery Bradley announced it would not be joining the Lakers in Orlando, the franchise quickly turned to available free agents to play their part. Losing Bradley is a huge loss for Los Angeles, due to its tough perimeter defense and reliable 3-point shot, but it’s not something this team can’t beat to win a championship. Any team trying to fill holes before the season resumes will face a difficult task as it will take time for new players to catch up. The Lakers, however, are turning to a household name to join them in Orlando.

Free agent guard JR Smith emerged as the favorite to replace Bradley last week. Now, he and the Lakers are reaching an agreement to make him part of the list that goes to Orlando, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. While Smith has never played with the Lakers in the past, he does have experience playing alongside LeBron James in Cleveland, where he was trusted as a spot-up shooter. The problem here, though, is that Smith hasn’t played since 2018, and even then it was only 11 games with the Cavaliers before the team quit in the summer of 2019.

The advantages of signing Smith are his obvious connections to James, as well as his ability to space the floor where he can catch fire from the deep at any time. During a pivotal Game 3 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Smith was 5-for-10 from a 3-point range, and ended the game with 20 points to give the Cavaliers their first win in the series, which they would then win in seven games. . after being down 3-1. However, as efficient as Smith can be beyond goal, he hasn’t played in two years yet. Expecting him to be in shape is a difficult task, especially in a team like the Lakers that have championship aspirations.

Fortunately, however, the veteran guard won’t be the only player in Orlando who hasn’t played in a long time, as the 22 teams will contend with the nearly five-month firing of basketball action due to the coronavirus pandemic. For the Lakers, with the No. 1 seed nearly blocked at this point, the eight-game sowing schedule can be used as a tune-up for players like Smith to see what they can bring to the table.