1. Quinn Cook
When Quinn Cook signed as a free agent this offseason it looked like a great move for the Lakers because he was coming off an impressive postseason where he made big shots for the Golden State Warriors.
He had a small role with their championship teams, but it looked like he had an opportunity to carve out big minutes with no clear starter at point guard for the purple and gold. However, that has been far from the case this season, and he has shockingly ended up playing less minutes per game than he did with the Warriors the last two seasons.
Cook is also making more money than the veteran minimum that Daniels is making, so that makes his contract easier to move in a trade involving less pieces. His money would likely be used in a deal that featured Kuzma and a player that makes more money for another team.
It is crazy that seemingly everyone the Lakers signed to make a splash in the 3-point category has lost their stroke. Like Daniels he was shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc prior to this season, and this year he is shooting a dreadful 31 percent from three.
Little to no opportunity for minutes to get in a rhythm is obviously affecting his game, and his averages of 4.6 points and 1.4 assists per game are the worst of his career. Cook could easily make more of an impact on a team in need of a shooting combo guard.
It seems more like the Lakers prefer to have the defensive abilities of guys like Caruso, Bradley, and KCP to take most of the point guard minutes. Even Rajon Rondo has played dramatically more minutes than Cook running the second unit, and that speaks to how bad it has gotten for Cook this season.
It seems like a change of scenery would do both parties some good because Cook has already won a championship and probably wants a bigger role elsewhere. He will be a free agent again in 2022 and he will need to make a bigger impact on the floor to earn more money on his next deal.
There are not many players making the amount of money that Cook does that can be a difference maker for the Lakers in a one for one deal for Cook. Guys like Garrett Temple, Markieff Morris, or Justin Holiday would be a major upgrade and match money wise, but it is more likely he would be involved in a trade that included multiple Lakers because they would be selling low on him now.