The Los Angeles Lakers' regret for signing Gabe Vincent to a three-year $33 million contract in 2023 continues to grow as the guard’s struggles get worse. He is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, but shot just 23.1 percent from the field and scored 3.7 points per game in the first three contests. The Lakers started him after a strong preseason, but it was clearly fool’s gold.
Vincent was a starter for the Heat on the 2023 squad that reached the NBA Finals. Los Angeles thought they were signing a guard just entering his prime, capable of spacing the floor, holding his own defensively, and making plays. None of that has happened on the Lakers. Even after Vincent earned the coaching staff’s trust in the preseason, he went right back to struggling before spraining his ankle.
The Lakers can’t trust Vincent when he returns. The 29-year-old has a long sample of struggling in purple and gold that nobody can ignore. He should be finished in Los Angeles, and his $11.5 million expiring contract may be trade bait before the deadline.
Gabe Vincent looks finished after blowing his final chance
In his 86 games with the Lakers, Vincent averages 5.9 points, 1.5 assists, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.7 steals in 21.1 minutes per game. He has shot 38.6 percent from the field, 32.9 percent on his threes, and a disappointing 73.1 percent from the foul line. Throw in the fact that Vincent has only played in 86 of a possible 170 games, and this signing was an absolute disaster for Rob Pelinka and the Lake Show.
Vincent’s preseason surge was based on hot shooting. The Lakers were outscored with him on the floor and never had their full rotation healthy. Vincent earned his current contract with a strong playoff run in 2023, where his production well outperformed anything he has done in the regular season. The 6’3 guard is prone to hot streaks, but that only makes the cold spells even worse.
For his career, Vincent has produced a negative-2.2 value over replacement player (VORP). He sits at negative-1.1 during his Lakers tenure. Suddenly expecting him to make a positive impact is absolutely foolish.
The Lakers want to compete for a championship and can’t do that playing Gabe Vincent 20-plus minutes every night. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are in their primes and hunger for playoff success. LA is still waiting for LeBron to get healthy and back in the mix. This is their best shot to win a ring with this core. The Lakers should look to maximize it by going all-in. Sadly for Vincent, that means trading him before the Feb. 5 deadline to upgrade their roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers know what they have in Gabe Vincent. They can’t be fooled by a hot stretch or a return from injury. He is a below-replacement-level option that can't be played if the franchise is serious about contending. The disaster signing is a sunk cost, and it is time to move on.