NBA Rumors: Lakers Likely To Pull Plug On Underperforming Big Man Soon

KEY POINTS

The Lakers waiving DeAndre Jordan will open a roster spot
Jordan has not proven to be a useful addition for the Lakers so far
Stanley Johnson could be a better option for the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers need to tweak their roster fast, and this would require them to cut some players.

One familiar name that could be a candidate for that is DeAndre Jordan.

The 33-year-old center has hardly made a good account of himself with the Lakers this season.

Jordan has the lowest plus-minus of any player on the entire roster, a woeful -96.

A look at his numbers this 2021-22 seasons shows Jordan averaging only 4.5 points and hauling down just 5.7 rebounds in 13 minutes of action he has taken the floor for the club.

“DeAndre Jordan is playing very poorly for them, and basically LeBron is playing a lot of minutes at center right now. I don’t think he’s starting at center but in the second half on Christmas they started him at center…or they played Carmelo for a few minutes at center, which was laughable,” Brian Windhorst mentioned in his “The Hoop Collective” podcast.

Hence, the Lakers may be better off going with another big guy who can provide better performance.

One of those could be Stanley Johnson who is currently on a 10-day deal.

While Jordan is sputtering, the same cannot be said for Johnson.

Although he has just seen action in a couple of games, his fit is showing promise.

Making him even more appealing is the fact is that he is much younger and energetic compared to Jordan.

As of this writing, it appears a Jordan exit is imminent. He has not seen action in the Lakers' last three games, potentially a sign of things to come.

The Lakers have tweaked their five on the floor with LeBron James or Anthony Davis playing the center position.

Also, the Lakers used mostly Dwight Howard in the middle over Jordan.

Should he be cut, the Lakers would open a roster spot and minimally cut their losses.

The Lakers are in search of answers and fill up holes in their rotation. There is no telling what they will do if Jordan is cut.

Los Angeles could have two open roster spots by Friday, December 31 if a reported deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for Rajon Rondo pushes through.

The Cavs are looking for a guard to add to their backcourt rotation with Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio out for the season due to injuries.