Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Waiters is headed to Los Angeles
Former Heat guard to sign with Lakers, his 3rd teams this season
NEW ORLEANS — A season that has included three suspensions and only three appearances has now turned into a championship chase for Dion Waiters.
The former Miami Heat guard has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Lakers, joining a roster at the top of the Western Conference that includes LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Waiters was dealt by the Heat to the Memphis Grizzlies at the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline in the deal that also sent out Justise Winslow and James Johnson, with the Heat receiving Andre Iguodala, Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill.
Waiters then was waived by the Grizzlies without reporting to Memphis, becoming a free agent and eligible to be signed by the Lakers. Because he was waived by Memphis prior to March 1, he is eligible for the Lakers’ playoff roster.
Waiters was suspended for a total of 17 games by the Heat for offenses that included insubordination and conduct detrimental to the team.
He returned to play three games for the Heat in late January amid a spate of injuries elsewhere on the roster, but by then his relationship with the team had been irreparably fractured.
After a solid close to his first season with the Heat, the 2012 first-round draft choice out of Syracuse was signed by the Heat to a four-year, $52 million feeagent contract during the 2017 offseason.
From there, ankle and other injuries, plus conditioning issues, effectively stalled his career.
He received the full value of his contract from the Heat and Grizzlies, minus annual bonuses for appearing in at least 70 games, which he failed to achieve in each of these first three seasons of that contract.
He will receive a prorated share of the NBA minimum scale for the balance of the season — about $500,000 — with the Lakers with the option to still replace him with another player. In addition to a workout for Waiters earlier this week, the Lakers reportedly also held a workout with former James Cleveland Cavaliers teammate J.R. Smith, who remains available. The roster spot was opened with the waiving of guard Troy Daniels by the Lakers earlier this week.
Waiters, 28, has appealed the salary portion of his Heat suspension, sanctions that cost $1.4 million in salary.
Waiters previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder before joining the Heat.
Waiters is represented by Rich Paul, who also is the agent for James. Waiters previously was represented by Rob Pelinka, who now serves as Lakers general manager.