TORONTO — The Lakers on Thursday declined to select up the $4.06 million third-year staff possibility on second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino’s contract.
The deadline for the choice, which was first reported by NBA insider Chris Haynes, was Thursday.
The Lakers’ choice will make Hood-Schifino an unrestricted free agent throughout the 2025 offseason.
Hood-Schifino hasn’t been with the Lakers throughout their ongoing five-game street journey, which is able to proceed Friday when the Lakers play the Toronto Raptors for the third sport of the journey.
Hood-Schifino, the Lakers’ 2023 first-round draft decide, was assigned to the group’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, earlier than the journey began.
Maxwell Lewis, the Lakers’ 2023 second-round decide, has additionally been with South Bay.
For the Lakers, declining Hood-Schifino’s third-year possibility as a part of the four-year, $17.9 million rookie scale contract he signed final summer time might give them larger monetary and roster flexibility going into subsequent summer time relying on their choices forward of the Feb. 6 commerce deadline.
Along with Hood-Schifino, 4 different Lakers are slated to turn out to be unrestricted free brokers after the 2024-25 season: D’Angelo Russell, Christian Wooden, Cam Reddish and Jaxson Hayes.
Simply $100,000 of Lewis’ $2.2 million wage for 2025-26 is assured.
LeBron James additionally has a $52.6 million participant possibility for subsequent season.
Relying on the Lakers’ strikes, they might have entry to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception subsequent summer time, which might be value round $14 million.
Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 select of Indiana in 2023, averaged 1.6 factors (22.2% taking pictures), 0.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 21 NBA regular-season video games final season as a rookie and hasn’t performed this season after showing in preseason.
He had decrease again surgical procedure – a lumbar microdiscectomy process – in late March.
Hood-Schifino performed 15 video games for South Bay final season earlier than having surgical procedure, averaging 22 factors (47.3% taking pictures, 43.2% from 3-point vary), 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds.
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