The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a frustrating loss to the small-ball Houston Rockets in the first game after standing pat at the 2019-20 NBA trade deadline.
However, one of the big stories of the game came off the court with Darren Collison sitting courtside with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss taking in the action.
While normally a retired point guard wouldn’t be a big deal at a Lakers game, Collison is reportedly considering making a return to the NBA and the Lakerscould be at the top of his list if he chooses to do so. If the Lakers land Collison, they’ll be able to solve one of their biggest issues — which is the lack of a decent backup point guard — while adding a player for cheap who could’ve garnered a $10 million per season deal in 2019 NBA free agency.
When asked about the meaning behind his attendance, Collison tried not to give anything away, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“Just watching the game, ain’t nothing to it,” Collison told ESPN. “Got the best seats in the house.”
However, it seems fairly clear that Collison’s showing meant more than just wanting to watch a Lakers game, as Buss and the front office have reportedly been recruiting Collison. Despite this, Collison still wants to confer with his family and agent before making any final decisions:
A source told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne the Lakers were “recruiting” and that Collison plans to discuss over the next week with his family and agent whether to return to the NBA.
According to most reports, Collison is waiting until after the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend to make his choice, but that it will ultimately come down to the Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. That’s if he decides to return at all which is still a 50/50 chance according to Matt Barnes.
Collison would undoubtedly be a massive help for the Lakers and that was obvious in the loss as they struggled to initiate any offense with LeBron James off the court.