4 Lakers who could be waived to make room for new signings
By Will Eudy
Maxwell Lewis
After being drafted with the 40th pick of the 2023 draft by the Denver Nuggets, Maxwell Lewis was traded to the Lakers. The team signed him to a four-year, $7.6 million rookie deal, not all of which is guaranteed. His salary for the 2025-26 season is only partially guaranteed, with a club option attached to the following season.
So far, Maxwell has had very minimal opportunity to prove his worth to this Lakers team. He is playing in just 3.7 minutes per night, putting up less than half a point per game on average. Lewis has good physical attributes for a wing player, and has good upside as a three-and-D player that can impact the game with his athleticism and shooting prowess.
He could very well end up as a rotational player in this league. With that said, it would be easy for the Lakers to give up on Lewis right now given that the team is in win-now mode, and all their resources will have to be committed to pieces that can help them this season, not down the road.
If a more experienced wing player becomes available on the free agent market, Maxwell could end up on the outside looking in.