Subscribe
Follow Us
The Phoenix Suns have claimed free agent guard Jordan Goodwin off waivers, league sources told ClutchPoints on Wednesday afternoon. Goodwin was waived by the Lakers on Sunday night and was expected to draw plenty of interest on the open market in the wake of Los Angeles' decision to cut him from their roster.
News of Goodwin being claimed by the Suns was first reported by ESPN.
After former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart secured a buyout with the Washington Wizards, the Lakers quickly advanced to finalize an agreement with him. As a result, the Lakers needed to free up roughly $5 million in cap space to add Smart.
Despite talking with rival teams about a potential consolidation trade, Los Angeles elected to waive Shake Milton and Goodwin, paving the way for Smart to sign his two-year, $11 million contract.
Goodwin, 26, is known for being a feisty two-way player coming off the bench. He previously played for the Suns during the 2023-24 season. Although Goodwin has bounced around from team to team early in his career, he played well in 29 games with the Lakers last season.
In Los Angeles, Goodwin averaged 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from 3-point range.
The Lakers valued Goodwin as a key bench player in their second unit. With a handful of playoff-contending teams in need of a point guard and taking a look at him in free agency, Goodwin was claimed by the Suns.
With Phoenix, the versatile guard now slides into a key secondary role in the backcourt next to Devin Booker, Jalen Green, and Collin Gillespie. Goodwin will see plenty of minutes with the Suns during the upcoming 2025-26 season.
After being claimed off waivers, Goodwin will be on the Suns' books for $2.3 million this year, that is if he isn't waived by January 7. The Lakers are no longer responsible for the $25,000 that was partially guaranteed on his contract.
This is a strong value move by the Suns, as Goodwin's contract comes at no risk to a team in need of backcourt help.
