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Jalen Hood-Schifino will be hitting free agency a lot earlier than the Los Angeles Lakers had planned.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday the Lakers declined their 2025-26 club option worth $4 million for the 2023 first-round pick. As a result, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
The move is an admission from Los Angeles it doesn’t see a future with Hood-Schifino after selecting him with the 17th overall pick. He was picked ahead of Jaime Jaquez Jr., Brandin Podziemski and Cam Whitmore, all of whom were positive contributors to their teams as rookies.
Hood-Schifino, on the other hand, logged 21 appearances for the Lakers and averaged 1.6 points on 22.2 percent shooting.
He spent a portion of the season with the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League and put up 22 points per contest in 15 games.
During training camp, forward Rui Hachimura was enthusiastic about the 21-year-old.
“Jalen has been great,” he told reporters. “I can see he’s been putting a lot of work in his body. He got way stronger. I can see that he’s just, you know, more confident… I think he looks strong and healthy; I like it.”
Hood-Schifino was unable to impress first-year head coach JJ Redick enough to earn a regular role in the rotation, though. He has yet to make his 2024-25 season debut and was assigned to South Bay on Sunday.
By having his option declined, the 6’5″ guard misses out on a good chunk of guaranteed cash, but entering free agency is beneficial from the standpoint that he needs a fresh start elsewhere. Hood-Schifino isn’t going to get the minutes he needs to develop in the NBA in Los Angeles.
His expiring salary might make him more attractive for trade suitors willing to take a flier on him as well.
