The Los Angeles Lakers didn't make any moves at the trade deadline, but they were prepared to land point guard Darren Collison on the free-agent market.
The thing is, that was a two-way street, as Collison would have had to come out of retirement for that to come to fruition.
It appeared that Collison was eventually going to join one of the two Los Angeles teams, but instead, he has decided to stay away from basketball.
Now, the Lakers will have to explore the buyout market to see if they can land anyone else.
To be fair, it's not like Los Angeles has to sign someone. After all, the Lakers are 39-12 and sit at the top of the Western Conference, so it's not exactly like they have many holes.
However, L.A. has been rather intent on adding another ball handler/backcourt scorer, which is why names such as Dion Waiters and JR Smith have surfaced.
But what about Isaiah Thomas?
The Los Angeles Clippers just waived the veteran floor general following a three-way trade with the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards that landed the Clippers Marcus Morris. While Thomas may no longer be the dynamic force he was a few years ago, he can still serve in a bench role on a contender.
In 40 games with the Wizards this season, Thomas averaged a respectable 12.2 points per game while shooting 40.8 percent from the floor, 41.3 percent from 3-point range and 81.6 percent from the free-throw line, so he certainly has something to offer.
Also, unlike Waiters and Smith, Thomas can actually play point guard and provide the Lakers with a reliable ball handler outside of LeBron James and Rajon Rondo, which is the whole reason Los Angeles wanted to sign Collison.
Yes, Thomas is a defensive liability, but it's not like Collison has ever been known for his defensive chops, either, and Thomas would only be playing in short bursts anyway and could be covered somewhat by the Lakers' terrific team defense.
Waiters can't really be trusted in any capacity, and let's remember that Smith has barely played since the 2018 NBA Finals. He appeared in just 11 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season and has been in no-man's land this year.
Thomas, on the other hand, has at least gotten significant minutes during the 2019-20 campaign and appears to be healthy. No, he isn't as explosive as he was when he averaged 28.9 points per game with the Boston Celtics three seasons ago, but the Lakers don't need him to do that. They just need him to provide them with some scoring punch and an extra guard, and even at this stage of his carer, Thomas can fill that role.
Again, the Lakers technically don't have to do anything. Their roster is championship-caliber the way it is. But if Los Angeles is looking to add another player off the bench, it shouldn't waste time on unreliable commodities like Waiters and Smith. Instead, the Lakers should turn to Thomas, who actually briefly played for the club during the 2017-18 campaign.
That is, of course, unless someone else snaps Thomas up first.
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