At least for the time being, Armel Traore’s tenure with the Lakers is officially over. The 22-year-old rookie averaged 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds on 31.6% shooting in just nine games for Los Angeles.
Even though he had glimpses of promise, the Lakers decided to remove him on Friday, freeing up a space on the two-way roster. The story was reported by Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, who also mentioned that if Traore clears waivers, the Lakers would like to keep him with their G League affiliate:
The Lakers dismissed F Armel Traore and signed G Jordan Goodwin to a two-way contract. If Traore clears waivers, the Lakers would prefer to keep him in the building with their G-League squad. Given the Lakers’ recent roster changes, it makes sense that they would need more G depth following the Christie, Reddish, and Knecht transactions.
The backcourt was depleted after Max Christie, Cam Reddish, and Dalton Knecht were traded, so a two-way trade for Goodwin—an active defensive guard—was a wise acquisition.
Traore made a strong showing in the G League, averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 51.3% shooting in eight games, while playing a small number of NBA minutes. His growing perimeter game (34.4% from three) and 6-foot-9 frame make him an intriguing project that at least one draft analyst thinks merits careful consideration.
Someone with lottery intentions should swoop up Armel Traore,” said Rich Stayman of No Ceilings, in reference to Traore’s potential. He was really appealing to me last summer.
That may be a reach given that Traore is still developing and probably won’t be joining an NBA rotation anytime soon, but it does demonstrate the range of skills he possesses. The Lakers would sign him if no team selected him off waivers. Learn more at:
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