Lakers Expected to 'Audition' JR Smith After Quiet Trade Deadline

It was quite the hectic NBA trade deadline once again, with teams all around the league making last-minute adjustments to their rosters. D'Angelo Russell found his way on the Minnesota Timberwolves, Andre Drummond was shipped off to Cleveland, and the Rockets completed a four-way trade with the most players involved in a deal in nearly two decades.

One team that was not involved in the trade action, despite constant speculation around the future of Kyle Kuzma, was the Los Angeles Lakers. General Manager Rob Pelinka was not a fan of many of the packages offered for both Kuzma and Alex Caruso, and decided to stand pat. However, another option that has presented itself is the availability of a former LeBron teammate: J.R. Smith.

The Lakers are expected to give free agent guard JR Smith a post-trade deadline audition (perhaps as soon as next week) and remain favorites to sign Darren Collison if Collison elects to make a comeback to the NBA -- in addition to potential pickups on the buyout market
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 6, 2020

It's an intriguing prospect for a player who has experience playing alongside LeBron James, as well as a championship ring to his resume. However, J.R. has not played in an NBA game since November 19, 2018, and offering him a roster spot is a huge risk.

The same people that are saying No to JR are likely the same people that laughed at Dwight when he signed. Look how that turned out. Y’all need to relax lmaoo.
— Hanel (Celtics 24-8) (@HanelDuran19) February 6, 2020

The Lakers made some excellent and small offseason acquisitions, including Dwight Howard, and it's a reason that they are currently top of the Western Conference. Should J.R. Smith end up being signed, Lakers fans would be wise to give him a chance before heaping criticism on him.