The Lakers just waived Goodwin, and a day later he was claimed by the Suns, saving the Lakers $25,000.

Yesterday, the Lakers officially announced the release of guard Jordan Goodwin. Today, according to ESPN reporter Shams, the Suns have claimed Goodwin, who was waived by the Lakers. For the Suns, Goodwin is a resilient player with immense potential. This marks a return to familiar territory for Goodwin, who played 40 games for the Suns during the 2023-24 season.

After Goodwin was waived, there was a clarification period during which other teams could claim the player if interested. Once claimed, the new team would execute the player's original contract, which can be simply understood as a sort of trade.

Goodwin's original contract was worth $2.35 million, of which only $25,000 was guaranteed. If he had not been waived by the Lakers before January 7, the remaining amount would have become fully guaranteed. Now that the Suns have claimed Goodwin, the Lakers have effectively wiped out that $25,000 dead money from their books. It’s as if the Suns helped the Lakers save $25,000.

To free up salary cap space to sign Smart, the Lakers waived Milton and Goodwin. While Milton was expendable, Goodwin had shown great effort since earning a two-way contract with the Lakers last season, playing 29 games and averaging 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 18.7 minutes per game, with a three-point shooting percentage of 38.2%. He had become an indispensable part of the Lakers' bench.

Smart is essentially an upgraded version of Goodwin, so losing Goodwin is not a significant loss.

The Lakers' official website still features a photo of Smart participating in a workout at the Lakers' facility in 2014. Yesterday, Smart remarked, "Twelve years ago, I could have played here, and now, after all this time, I'm back here. It's really interesting."

Smart mentioned that since joining the Lakers, he hasn't had the opportunity to communicate with LeBron.

LeBron has recently entered vacation mode, completely immersing himself in relaxation while vacationing with his wife in Saint-Tropez, France. Smart, don’t worry; once LeBron's phone connects to Wi-Fi, you’ll surely be able to communicate.

A Lakers insider told reporter Ashish Mathur, "LeBron is on vacation, so everyone should remain calm. He has the right to enjoy his summer. He doesn’t need to be constantly focused on the Lakers and basketball. When he returns, he will reach out to Marcus."

Smart was recruited by Doncic, and Ayton can be considered as well. The Lakers' development direction aligns closely with what Doncic envisions. Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin expressed optimism about Doncic staying with the team: "What I want to say is, if you're a Lakers fan, you shouldn't worry about Luka's contract extension."

Today, American media predicted the Western Conference champion for the new season, with the Thunder undoubtedly being the favorites, followed closely by the Nuggets and Rockets, while the Lakers, Clippers, and Timberwolves form the third tier.

The Athletic's expert Law Murray updated the league's team power rankings during the offseason, with the top 10 being the Thunder, Knicks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Rockets, Clippers, Magic, Warriors, and Pistons. The Lakers are ranked 11th.

Interestingly, the Lakers acquired Ayton, the center from the 2021 runners-up, Smart, the guard from the 2022 runners-up, Vincent, the guard from the 2023 runners-up, and Doncic, the guard from the 2024 runners-up.

Wow, it’s quite a coincidence that so many runners-up are gathered together. Hopefully, these guys can break the championship drought next year.