The Los Angeles Lakers have seemingly found a diamond in the rough with Jordan Goodwin, a guard they signed to a two-way contract who has now become an essential piece of their rotation.
Goodwin got the start in Sunday afternoon’s game against the Phoenix Suns and made an impact with his play on both ends of the floor to help the Lakers earn a much-needed victory.
A big topic surrounding Goodwin right now is when the Lakers will convert him to a standard NBA contract as two-way players are not eligible to play in the postseason. The Lakers can wait until the final day of the regular season if they want, but Goodwin will need to be converted in order to play in the playoffs.
After the win over the Suns, Austin Reaves spoke about Jordan Goodwin’s journey to this point and how he believes the 26-year-old deserves a standard NBA deal.
“Yeah, I mean it’s not conventional. He’s been on a standard contract, and he’s been on a two-way [contract]. Back and forth, the G League and then us,” Reaves said. “Then a couple people got hurt, and then [he] got the opportunity to get out there and show what he can do. I told him, I think it was that first game that we played Indiana, he had a hell of a game, and I just told him, ‘I don’t know how out of 30 teams you’re not on a regular contract.’ [It’s] the way that he can affect the game without having the ball in his hands. I bet you anybody that’s played with him enjoy it because he does all the things that are right. Big shout out to him. He’s been a huge factor for us.
Everyone understands how impactful Goodwin has been with the Lakers, so it seems to just be a matter of time before his contract gets upgraded.
After the Lakers’ win over the Suns on Sunday afternoon, head coach JJ Redick praised Jordan Goodwin for setting the tone and making an impact that goes beyond the box score.
“I’ll say this, never judge a player based solely on his box score,” Redick said. “Jordan Goodwin was incredible tonight, and he had two points and four fouls. He set the tone for us, and they’re an incredibly difficult team to guard. Our guys executed what we wanted to do. They took the shots we were willing to live with. Him and Doe, everybody had turns because we redded a lot today. But him and Doe set the tone on both Book (Devin Booker) and KD (Kevin Durant). Those guys make tough shots, and we had to try something to make it hard for them, and those two guys set the tone.”
