Coming off a 2023 NBA Finals appearance with the Miami Heat, Gabe Vincent became a free agent target for the Los Angeles Lakers due to his impressive playoff play. However, things have not worked out greatly for both parties since then.
In Vincent’s first season in L.A., it was essentially a lost year as he only suited up in 11 games during the 2023-24 campaign due to a knee injury. The hope was that having a full offseason to recover and get 100% would translate into more meaningful production in 2024-25.
That ended up being the case as Vincent suited up for 72 regular games and became a crucial rotation piece towards the latter half of the year. Head coach JJ Redick was a clear fan of Vincent’s game early on and loved his defensive tenacity.
When Vincent hit multiple 3-pointers in a game, his value for the Lakers increased tremendously. Having capable 3-and-D players is a must in today’s NBA and the former UC Santa Barbara guard showcased flashes of that.
Unfortunately, it was a lot of hot and cold for Vincent throughout the year, which is not the consistency the team was looking for after committing three years and $33 million for his services.
In totality, the 29-year-old averaged 6.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 40% from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range during the 2024-25 season. And once the postseason came around, things continued to take a downward trend. Vincent put up 2.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists on 35.7% from the field and 30.8% from distance in the Lakers’ first round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
2024-25 Highlight
Although it may not be his highest scoring output of the year, Vincent was clutch during the Lakers’ game against the New York Knicks on March 6. L.A. trailed for a majority of this one, but his 3-point shooting was big as he made all four of his attempts, three of those coming in the fourth quarter.
With 1:20 remaining, LeBron James found Vincent in transition for a triple and that gave the Lakers the lead, eventually leading to a win in overtime over a tough Knicks squad.
2025-26 Outlook
At this point of his career, Vincent is a reserve guard as the Lakers have Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Marcus Smart ahead of him in the pecking order.
The Lakers attempted to trade Vincent’s expiring contract this offseason but found no takers, so the hope is that he will continue to make progress after staying healthy last season. If things don’t work out, a trade could be revisited before the deadline in February.
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