The Los Angeles Lakers may not have made a trade this offseason, but they still found ways to improve the roster in free agency.
The Lakers were able to sign Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart after they were waived by the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards, respectively. The team also re-signed Jaxson Hayes and signed Jake LaRavia, rounding out their front court and giving them more size, youth and defense than they had previously.
Los Angeles shouldn’t be done exploring the market as there are other needs worth addressing, but at the very least the team looks much better on paper and could very well crack the inner circle of contenders this upcoming season. Unfortunately, the Lakers had to waive both Shake Milton and Jordan Goodwin to make room for Smart and his contract.
Milton didn’t wait long to sign with a new team, though he’ll be heading overseas as he’s signed with ABA League team KK Partizan in Serbia, via ABA League:
OFFICIAL: @PartizanBC have a new player in their roster and he is coming to the black-and-white team straight from the @Lakers!
Malik Benjamin "Shake" Milton joins the ⚫️⚪️ on a 2-year deal. ✍️
🔗 https://t.co/ccxufhswvs#ABALiga pic.twitter.com/Pew2nsDfzD
— ABA League (@ABA_League) July 24, 2025
Waiving Milton was a move that had been coming for weeks as his contract was non-guaranteed for the 2025-26 season, so the Lakers had an easy way to clear up a roster spot once someone they liked became available. It’s a lackluster end for the guard who played sparingly for Los Angeles following his trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Milton didn’t have much of an opportunity to contribute for the Lakers as he played behind Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent. When injuries hit, Milton was able to slot in nicely and soak up minutes though he didn’t do enough to prove he was worth keeping around.
Sometimes players need to go overseas to raise their stock, so it’s too early to say whether or not Milton’s NBA career is done. The ABA League may not be at quite the same level, but it’s still an opportunity for Milton to prove he belongs.
Marcus Smart believes Lakers stack right up against Western Conference
Marcus Smart should play a big role in the Lakers’ success this year given his defensive ability and playmaking. When talking about the Western Conference, Smart says he thinks the Lakers stack up against anyone.
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