The Lakers officially dropped Quinn Cook on Wednesday, meaning the team now has two open roster spots and is far enough under the hard hat to add two players on minimum veteran deals for the rest of the season and the playoffs. . Will the team do that? Almost certainly, but according to head coach Frank Vogel, nothing is necessarily forthcoming.
“We will always look for ways to improve our team, but nothing concrete at the moment,” said Vogel before the team’s loss to Jazz.
Vogel was specifically asked about the possibility of the Lakers adding players to 10-day contracts, something the team could do to essentially look at a few options for a lease before committing to sign them for the rest of the season . NBA teams can sign players twice per season for 10-day deals before having to decide whether or not to let them go or sign for the rest of the season.
A more likely option, however, could be for the Lakers to wait until closer to the March 25 trade deadline, when they could either attempt to make a deal – something they are rumored to be debating – or try to sign players who will either be bought directly out, or traded and abandoned. That would keep the team from getting immediate help as they try to survive the absence of Dennis Schröder and Anthony Davis, but Schröder should reportedly be back at their next game, and Davis probably a bit after the All-Star break next week. They don’t necessarily have to close any gaps right away, and let’s be honest, there isn’t a single player currently available to make up for that absence anyway. Sorry, Dion Waiters. The Lakers better wait, even if this lost streak is bad.
But if you want something more specific, Vogel isn’t your guy. When insisted on what kind of needs the Lakers might be looking for with possible additions to their roster broadly, he closed the question.
“We only look at the players who are available. I’m not going into the needs we discuss internally, ”said Vogel.
That’s completely understandable, because after all, the Lakers have no reason to tip in public. However, it does mean that we will be in the dark for a while about their intentions. That said, while it would be silly to assume that Lakers fans will be “insured” of everything at this point – have you seen social media and the comments section on this site during their current loss period? – they should at least be aware that the Lakers got rid of Cook because they want to get better. That was evident when listening to what Vogel had to say.
“He will certainly be missed. First of all, he is a great basketball player. We had depth in that position and that’s the only reason he didn’t come in, but I was very confident in his capabilities, ”Vogel said of Cook. “And he is a 10 out of 10 culture fit with our group. Understands his role, and you need guys like that. When you fill out a roster, you need guys who don’t want to play, but still remain willing to contribute when your number is called, and he illustrated that as best you can.
“He has done a great job for us and we certainly wish him the best.”
But the Lakers didn’t say goodbye to a teammate as loved as you’ll find in the NBA because they’re happy with how they play. They wish Cook the best because, despite all of Vogel’s platitudes, they want to improve their basketball team. Even if it’s not clear yet how they will do that, at least they have made it clear that they will try.
Because the reality is that Cook was a friendship MVP. But as Kobe Bryant once said, “Friends can come and go, but banners hang forever.” It’s safe to say that his former agent and best friend, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, is well aware of that philosophy as he ensures that this team maximizes their chance of recurrence.
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