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22 Players the Los Angeles Lakers gave up on way too soon

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Miami Heat at Staples Center on February 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 20: Alex Caruso #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball during the game against the Miami Heat at Staples Center on February 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
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Los Angeles Lakers, Eddie Jones
Los Angeles Lakers, Eddie Jones Mandatory Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport

2. Eddie Jones

The Lakers drafted Jones with the tenth overall pick in 1994, and he immediately jumped into the starting lineup. Los Angeles had missed the playoff for the first since 1976, and they were eager to get back. Jones quickly became a fan favorite and continued to draw comparisons to Lakers great Michael Cooper.

He helped the Lakers make the playoffs four straight years, including reaching the conference finals in 1998. Jones was a two-time All-Star in LA, and he put on plenty of shows playing next to Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers front office decided to trade Jones and Elden Campbell to Charlotte during the lockout-shortened 1999 season for Glen Rice, B.J. Armstrong, and J.R. Reid. They wanted Rice’s shooting, and it helped propel the Lakers to their first championship of the Kobe and Shaq era in 2000.

Eddie Jones averaged over 20 points per game for the first time in his career with the Hornets, and he made another All-Star team. The 6’6 wing was a productive rotation piece for the next seven seasons. He led the league in steals in 2000 but never won a ring. The Los Angeles Lakers gave up on the fan-favorite too soon, but they likely do not have any regrets after winning three titles over the next four years.

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