The Los Angeles Lakers did not make a trade at the deadline but the team still added help in Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie was traded to the Toronto Raptors and subsequently waived, paving the way for the Lakers to sign him with the remaining money from the team's Mid-Level Exception.
Dinwiddie hasn't been that great for the Lakers since joining the team and he wasn't really filling an area of need when he was signed. The veteran point guard is D'Angelo Russell insurance because outside of that, the team didn't really need another point guard on the roster.
The roster is full with Dinwiddie but that should not stop the Lakers from making another addition. Los Angeles is running out of time and needs to start racking up wins before it is too late. Any help would be huge for the Lake Show and luckily for the team, an ideal buyout target just hit the market thanks to the Detroit Pistons.
ESPN Sources: Detroit Pistons C Mike Muscala is finalizing a contract buyout, clearing the way for him to be eligible for the playoffs with his next team. Muscala has interest of a few contenders. pic.twitter.com/yeU1qldcXj
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 28, 2024
Mike Muscala would be a perfect buyout signing for the Lakers
The Lakers need frontcourt depth with both Christian Wood and Jarred Vanderbilt out of action. Jaxson Hayes simply is not cutting it as the only depth big man as it limits what the team can do offensively.
Los Angeles also needs more shooting. Three-point shooting may not be the team's preferred expertise but that does not mean the Lakers should ignore making additions. Muscala is one of the best three-point-shooting big men in the league. He would give the Lakers a similar shooting presence as Wood without the awful defense.
Most importantly: Muscala is an experienced veteran who can step up in a playoff series and play a big role if needed. The rotation will shrink to eight or so players once the play-in and playoffs begin. The Lakers need to give themselves options and not rely on guys like Cam Reddish and Hayes to play roles when they haven't proven anything in the league.
The Lakers would need to waive someone in order to make room for Muscala but the team would still be under the first tax apron with a signing. As promising as the signing was in the summer, Hayes hasn't really done much for the team and waiving him in favor of the veteran Muscala would not be a terrible decision. You could also make the case for Christian Wood, or an expiring contract like Taurean Prince (although Darvin Ham would never let that fly).
Either way, Muscala would be an excellent fit in the rotation and if the Lakers can convince him to come to LA it would be great for the team. The biggest problem is that the Lakers are not a top-tier contender, and that could scare Muscala away.