Lakers Cut Veteran on Same Day He Promised to 'Be Back Soon'

The Los Angeles Lakers finally have their big man. After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. Then, Williams failed his physical in LA and the trade was rescinded. This put the Lakers in a desperate situation with no available center other than Jaxson Hayes once the trade deadline passed.

On Tuesday, the Lakers finally signed a free agent to bolster their frontcourt depth. Former Kings center Alex Len will be joining the Lakers, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

To make room, the Lakers cut Christian Wood. Earlier in the day, Wood had responded to a question by a Lakers fan on social media, claiming that he was progressing and would be "back soon".

Christian Wood Cut by the Lakers to Make Room for Alex Len

This is a disappointing outcome for Wood, who has been out with a left knee injury since February 2024. After suffering a setback from his initial arthroscopic procedure, Wood had another surgery in the fall, delaying his return to the Lakers.

If Wood were to get back to being healthy, he could have had a big role for this team desperate for more frontcourt depth.

The 29-year-old center was going to be a free agent in the offseason after signing a 1+1 year deal with the Lakers in 2023. Now, he will have extra time to potentially find his new NBA home. Considering his injury history, however, Wood may find it hard to land a guaranteed contract.

For the Lakers, replacing Wood with a healthy and capable center in Len makes a ton of sense. At the same time, this is likely a temporary solution. The Lakers will have to address their center rotation, as it's hard to imagine them going into the 2025-26 season with the Jaxson Hayes-Alex Len duo as their only centers.

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