The Los Angeles Lakers had bragging rights last season when they unearthed Jordan Goodwin — finding a spot for him on a two-way contract before converting him to a standard deal by year's end. The problem is they gave up far too early on a player who clearly could have helped them long-term.
Marcus Smart became available during the offseason. Rather than exploring a consolidation trade that could have opened up the financial freedom the Lakers needed to sign the veteran guard to his current deal, Rob Pelinka and the front office opted for the easy option of parting ways with Goodwin's non-guaranteed money.
The Phoenix Suns wasted no time capitalizing on Los Angeles' mistake. It was a decision that immediately showed potential to grow ugly in its handling for the Lakers, and it has.
Goodwin has carved out a strong role off the bench for the Suns in 2025-26. The former Laker has become exactly the type of player this roster would love to have right now. A recent individual masterpiece served as yet another reminder of why putting in the extra work matters — on all fronts.
Jordan Goodwin is everything the Lakers are missing right now
The Lakers had an ugly month on the defensive end in December. Letting someone of Goodwin's quality on that end simply walk has certainly contributed to those shortcomings.
The Suns have been a top-10 unit on that side of the court in 2025-26, currently ranking 9th with a defensive rating of 112.9. The culture of hard-nosed basketball brought to the desert by Dillon Brooks has only been reinforced by a workhorse like Goodwin.
Disruptive length and a high motor were two trademarks of his game that stood out in Los Angeles last season. It was why JJ Redick had not qualms about featuring him in the rotation with regularity, even while Goodwin was still on his two-way.
One could argue the offensive end had room for improvement. Even then, Goodwin averaged 38.2 percent on his shots from beyond the arc in 2024-25 with the Lakers.
His volume has increased with the Suns, upping his number of attempts from 2.3 last season to 4.3 in 2025-26. The 3-point percentage has remained stable for Goodwin at 37.1.
The Suns guard has enjoyed 14 double-digit scoring games during this campaign, including his 26-point outburst against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That was a career high for Goodwin, catapulted by another. His eight 3-pointers made were also the best mark of his time in the NBA.
Goodwin's 3-and-D ability would be embraced with open arms in Los Angeles this season. Instead, the Lakers will continue to watch their division rival reap the rewards of their discovery.