🎯 Lakers Cut Shake Milton & Jordan Goodwin for Marcus Smart Roster Flexibility
On July 21, 2025, the Los Angeles Lakers formally waived guards Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to clear both roster and cap space — setting the stage for the anticipated signing of veteran guard Marcus Smart .
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1. What Triggered the Moves?
The Lakers secured a two-year, $11 million deal (with a 2026 player option) for Marcus Smart, formerly NBA Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-Defensive First Team honoree .
To accommodate Smart under the NBA’s first apron hard cap, L.A. needed to shed approximately $5.5 million. Waiving Milton and Goodwin accomplished this goal, placing the Lakers about $1 million below the cap limit .
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2. Shake Milton: Role & Release
Player profile: 28-year-old combo guard, joined Lakers midseason via trade, averaging 3.9 ppg in 11.5 mpg over 30 games .
Contract detail: Held a $3 million non-guaranteed deal that would have auto-guaranteed on July 20—L.A. cut him prior to that deadline .
Career background: Drafted in 2018 by Dallas, played with Philadelphia, Minnesota, Detroit, New York, Brooklyn, and LA. Career averages: 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg in 359 games .
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3. Jordan Goodwin: A Rotation Piece Let Go
Profile: 26-year-old guard, signed via Exhibit 10 and two-way before earning a standard contract.
Contributions: In 29 games (5 starts) for the Lakers, he averaged 5.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.4 apg, shooting nearly 44% from the field, also saw action in four playoff games .
Contract: His team option for 2025–26 had minimal guarantees (~$25K), making him financially expendable .
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4. Strategic Implications
Smart’s addition is expected to boost the Lakers’ perimeter defense and veteran leadership .
The Lakers had reportedly explored trades involving Maxi Kleber, Gabe Vincent, or Dalton Knecht to avoid cutting Goodwin — but these discussions stalled .
The result: two role players exited to accommodate Smart, leaving L.A. within ~$1 million of the hard-cap limit .
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5. What’s Next for All Parties?
Milton becomes an unrestricted free agent — teams may pursue him as a scoring deep-bench option.
Goodwin, with four years’ experience and rotation visibility, stands a good chance of being claimed via waivers or having a chance in free agency .
Smart will soon clear waivers and officially join the Lakers, joining a backcourt expected to feature he, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and others .
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6. Cap & Roster Details
These moves position the Lakers roughly $1 million below the first apron, enabling them to sign Smart without violating the 195.9 million hard cap .
L.A.’s core will now feature LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, with a reinforced perimeter including Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton, and Smart .
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🔚 Final Thoughts
This maneuver underscores the Lakers’ commitment to immediate competitiveness. By cutting ties with two young, rotational guards for the sake of veteran defensive prowess, L.A. has made a calculated bet that Marcus Smart’s grit and leadership will elevate their championship aspirations.
The final declaration of these moves came via team announcement on Sunday night, July 20–21, 2025.
