The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced they waived Quinn Cook ahead of the NBA deadline on non-guaranteed contracts. Cook will become a free agent, opening up a second free roster spot for the Lakers to use.
Cook was first waived during the offseason to save $2 million against the hard cap. After the Lakers made a flurry of changes to the roster, Cook was re-signed on a non-guaranteed contract similar to the one given to Dwight Howard in 2019.
Cook grew up a diehard Lakers fan, and was extremely appreciative and complimentary of vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the team’s front office during the offseason. “The Lakers were very transparent with me, very honest,” Cook said at the time of re-signing.
“They had to restructure the roster and I had a nice contract last year, so I understood what could happen. I’ve been waived multiple times. They handled everything the most professional way. They really care for me and my best interests.
“Today was the first day and it was one of the best days ever. Just to be back with my guys and have an official practice here in the facility. It was my first practice here since before we played Brooklyn. It was a great feeling to be back. I felt like I haven’t seen my guys in so long even though we’ve been talking every day. To put this jersey back on, to be back with this staff and organization, it’s a beautiful feeling.”
Cook became an instant fan favorite despite a lack of playing time due to his love for the organization that he rooted for as a kid. The most notable moment of his Lakers tenure came off the court, when he joined mourning fans outside of Staples Center on the day of Kobe Bryant’s death.
As a free agent, Cook will be able to sign with any team in the league, and he is expected to have some interest. Cook has a career average of 6.4 points per game and is a 40.7% three-point shooter.
Lakers do not intend to sign DeMarcus Cousins with open roster spot
While rumors had begun brewing that the Lakers were headed for a reunion with DeMarcus Cousins, any chance of that was essentially struck down after reports that the team had minimal interest in his return.
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