Before the Los Angeles Lakers took the court for their final regular season matchup, they had a major decision to make. Kobe Bufkin's recently-vacated roster spot needed to be filled. The Lakers made their move by elevating Nick Smith Jr. from a two-way deal to a standard contract.
This was always a predictable route for the Lakers from the moment of Bufkin's release. Converting either Smith or Drew Timme, who had both been within the organization throughout the campaign, made more sense than anything else. JJ Redick explained why the choice ended up being Smith.
"Obviously a difficult decision. Drew has been awesome for us. Frankly, we're missing two of our primary ball-handlers. We need Nick, we need his shooting as well. A lot of discussion, a lot of debate over the last few days about that."
Redick's statement is more than clear and offers very little need for added information. The Lakers are down Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Their nine-man rotation in the NBA Playoffs could call for the boost that Smith can bring. Having that available was necessary in the current circumstances for Los Angeles.
Nick Smith Jr. could be an important component of the Lakers in the playoffs
Without Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers will need added guard depth, playmaking, and shot creation. That is especially true if the decision to yank Luke Kennard in the final game proves to be anything more than simply a precautionary measure.
Smith satisfies those departments well. He even showed off the scoring touch in the Lakers' 131-107 win over the Utah Jazz in the regular season finale on Sunday.
Smith played 18 minutes off the bench and scored 12 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc. The Lakers would love to get that type of jolt if the situation calls for it in their first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets.
Expect Smith to be in direct competition with Bronny James for the possibility of bench minutes in the playoffs. James was strong down the stretch for the Lakers and could easily be looked to as a very realistic option for the second unit as well.
It could simply come down to what the given game requires more of.
If the Lakers need defense more than they need offense from their guard off the bench, Bronny would be the guy to call. If Los Angeles needs that extra dosage of point production, Smith would be the man. Having the latter choice available is exactly why LA elevated him at the last moment.