The Lakers finally look ready to make a move this offseason in signing young big man Christian Koloko. And while the deal will be a two-way contract that is a great value deal, the team was going to have to make a move to open a spot.
On Sunday, fans got their answer. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the team will waive Blake Hinson.
Hinson was signed this spring after the 2024 NBA Draft and there was some reason for optimism for him. As a floor-spacing big, he could help the Lakers’ lack of shooting that has plagued them for many years.
His play in Summer League, though, did not lead to much optimism. In eight games, he shot 21-64 from the 3-point line. However, In his first and last game, he was a combined 10-21. In the six games in the middle, he shot 11-43.
Considering how one-dimension he is — and how much he struggled in that dimension this summer — it makes sense the Lakers would cut bait on him. Similarly, while his shooting is intriguing, he plays at the forward position where the Lakers have a fair amount of depth.
All in all, there was plenty of logic in waiving Hinson. Ultimately, he’s not a player worth getting upset about waiving.
If the Koloko signing works out, the team could run into the issue of only having a finite number of days he can be with the NBA team. However, that’s a problem for the future Lakers. Before then, they’ll have plenty of time to figure some things out.
