The Los Angeles Lakers shuffled through a long list of players in the 2024-25 season primarily due to fallout from the Luka Doncic trade. The exciting blockbuster forced the Lakers to rebuild on the fly and led to a rotating cast at the end of the bench. Among this list is Quincy Olivari, who appeared in two games for the Lakers but wasn't retained once the offseason began.
Olivari's employment status has finally changed, though, as NBA insider Michael Scotto reported that the ex-Laker has signed a deal with the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
Former Lakers G Quincy Olivari Joins Pistons Before Training Camp
It seems a long shot that Olivari is going to win a spot at the end of a loaded Detroit roster; however, it is easy to root for the former Laker to defy expectations.
The 24-year-old guard has always been an underdog, having gone undrafted in 2024 following collegiate runs with Rice and Xavier. He eventually signed an NBA G League deal with South Bay, where he averaged 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and .401/.342/.781 splits in 31 games last season.
Although Olivari's production was solid, it wasn't good enough for the Lakers to retain his services. Los Angeles is trying to go all in to win a title in what could be LeBron James' final season, and it's clear the front office didn't think that the Atlanta, GA native would help with that goal.
Perhaps Olivari will take the next step with the Pistons, but there's also a chance that he'll be stuck in the G League, too. The Pistons have plenty of players capable of playing guard minutes (Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Caris LeVert, etc.), meaning it might take an injury for the ex-Laker to get a chance to play.
With that in mind, the likeliest way that this plays out for the former Laker is winning a surprise spot at the end of the Pistons' bench (barring any unforeseen developments). Olivari will likely start the season with the Motor City Cruise while working as an emergency depth for a Pistons team that, similar to the Lakers, doesn't have minutes to waste in a season where contention hopes remain high.
Time will tell if Olivari finds a way to get into the Pistons' rotation before they visit the Lakers at crypto.com Arena on Dec. 30.