The Los Angeles Lakers have done a decent job in the NBA draft under general manager Rob Pelinka, but 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino appears to be a miss.
After only making 21 appearances last season, the hope was that he would work his way into the rotation this season. That has not been the case. In fact, Hood-Schifino has yet to play a single game this season. Bronny James is playing more minutes than him.
This led to the Lakers to decline his third-year option, which will make him a free agent at the end of the season. With that in mind, Los Angeles could consider trading him.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, there are at least three teams that have shown interest in the young guard.
“Atlanta [Hawks] had interest in him in that talk with Dejounte [Murray] last year,” Fischer said on a recent live stream, via Silver Screen & Roll. “Utah [Jazz], I believe, has shown interest in him, to my knowledge, in those talks about Walker Kessler. Brooklyn [Nets], I’ve been told, is a team that has interest in him. So, just keep an eye on Jalen Hood-Schifino as a potential outgoing salary expiring deal.”
Hood-Schifino appears to still have some value around the league, but it’s clear things aren’t working in Los Angeles.
Perhaps he’d be better off on a younger team like the Utah Jazz where he can get some much-needed minutes to develop his game.
