The Los Angeles Lakers waived guard Kobe Bufkin earlier this week, and that move left them with one open roster spot as they prepare for the playoff push. With Luke Doncic and Austin Reaves out again for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the visiting Utah Jazz, the Lakers are looking for backcourt help and can only add a player who was waived by his previous team before March 1.
That rule takes Cam Thomas off the table because he was waived after the deadline by the Milwaukee Bucks. It also puts Cole Anthony in the mix, since he was traded to the Phoenix Suns by the Bucks and then waived, and he has not signed with another team as a free agent.
Anthony, 25, spent his entire NBA career with the Orlando Magic before his brief stop in Milwaukee and entered the league as a first-round draft pick. If the Lakers like what they see, he could be a candidate for a return this summer, but for now the focus is on who can help them survive the short-handed stretch ahead of the postseason.
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Doncic and Reaves are expected to remain out on Sunday, though there is a chance both could return at some point during the playoffs. For the Lakers, the immediate question is whether that lone roster opening turns into a guard who can steady the backcourt before the games matter even more.
