Cam Reddish
Among these candidates to be waived in order to sign a buyout candidate, Cam Reddish has to be the least likely to be let go. While he has been far from a star since he entered the league, he has one of the most intriguing stories of any non-star during that time from a basketball perspective.
Drafted tenth overall in 2019 after a stellar freshman season at Duke where he hit clutch shots and made highlight reel plays, it seemed like nearly everyone expected Cam to grow into stardom in short order in the NBA. After all, he came from a program known for pushing out NBA-ready players, and many of his peers regarded him as one of the best players in his class.
But when Reddish arrived in the league, things seemed to change for him. He put up some solid scoring numbers initially, but his shooting numbers were poor. When he was traded to the New York Knicks in 2022, Head Coach Tom Thibodeau had him out of the rotation completely at one point. Some around the league voiced concern about his future in the NBA.
In the end, a player with as many physical gifts as Cam was always going to have a place in the best basketball league in the world. He has still not reached the level many expected when he entered the NBA, but he is still just 24 years old and there is room for growth. The Lakers could still part ways with him if they feel better options are out there, but his chances of being waived are still relatively low.