Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers just drafted their point guard of the future in Lonzo Ball. They also signed his backcourt running mate in Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. Behind those two, the guard rotation has room for someone to break through.
The team did give a two-way deal to Andrew Corruso after he lit up the summer league in Ball’s absence. At the shooting guard spot, they drafted Josh Hart out of Villanova.
The presence of those two shouldn’t preclude a Goodwin signing. Los Angeles could still fill out its roster with young talent with upside.
Goodwin certainly qualifies. At just 23, Goodwin can still grow further. There is potential for him to get better and improve upon his weaknesses (mainly his 3-point shooting and defense). Having a player-friendly coach like Luke Walton may just be what Goodwin needs to propel his career forward.
The Lakers are in asset hoarding mode. If the team wants to make good on their grand plans to woo LeBron James and/or Paul George to Tinseltown, general manager Rob Pelinka is going to have to acquire assets he can later use in trades to dump the contracts of Luol Deng and Jordan Clarkson.
If Goodwin has a standout season, and is signed to a reasonable deal, perhaps the Lakers can use him as an asset. They could also avoid eating up next year’s cap space and give him a one year deal. Either way, Goodwin can be an intriguing fit on a Lakers bench that could use a player with Goodwin’s versatility.