Basketball's offseason is almost over now that the 2025-26 NBA campaign is almost here. The Los Angeles Lakers will begin their preseason on Oct. 3 before opening the regular season at home against the Golden State Warriors just 18 days later, leaving time to tell if this is the year that LeBron James and Luka Doncic bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to L.A.
Even though September is almost here, not everyone is guaranteed to be a part of head coach JJ Reddick's 2025-26 lineup. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka could move some pieces around if he doesn't think he has a championship-level roster, opening the door to replace pedestrian bubble players with hungrier contributors.
If that's Pelinka's mindset entering September, there's no doubt that one of the Lakers' biggest disappointments is on the chopping block.
Lakers G Gabe Vincent is on L.A.'s Chopping Block to Begin September
Most Lakers fans agree that Gabe Vincent has been one of the franchise's more disappointing free-agent signings in recent memory. The Modesto, CA native signed a three-year, $33 million fully-guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles ahead of the 2023-24 campaign and has since left much to be desired more often than not.
Vincent's debut season was a disaster, plagued by injuries that held him to 11 appearances. He didn't make the most of those opportunities, averaging a forgettable 3.1 points while shooting 30.6% from the field and 10.7% from depth — both his worst efforts since his rookie campaign (21.6% and 22.2%, respectively). Although the ex-UC Santa Barbara product played more games (72) in Year 2, he still failed to meet expectations.
Vincent's offensive production increased to 6.4 PPG, as did his field-goal (40.0%) and three-point (35.3%) percentages, but that didn't make him worth his $11 million price tag. He was occasionally a solid defensive contributor; however, his minus-4.0 box plus/minus per 100 possessions proves that it wasn't enough to overcome his offensive shortcomings.
It's obvious that Vincent has passed his prime, and asking him to turn things around after turning 29 in June might be too much. He simply isn't that good a fit in Reddick's lineup, and continuing to play him over 21 minutes per night might do more harm than good to the Lakers' outlook. Considering how Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Bronny James are all capable of playing point guard minutes, Vincent isn't as needed as he once was.
Vincent will carry an $11.5 million cap hit this season, which is money better spent elsewhere. The Lakers can flip his contract to add to their wing or frontcourt depth, which both need some love if L.A. wants to survive the Western Conference. Those needs will only become more obvious as the season goes on.
With almost 100 games being more than enough of a sample size, Lakers fans shouldn't be surprised if Vincent isn't a part of the Opening Night roster.