EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers officially converted guard Jordan Goodwin’s two-way contract to a standard NBA contract on Thursday morning, waving forward Cam Reddish to make space on the roster.
Goodwin, 26, slowly found his way into the Lakers' bench rotation since joining in early February on a two-way contract. His nightly effort on both ends quickly resonated with the Lakers fanbase and gained the trust of head coach JJ Redick, starting in five games when L.A. was down key contributors.
Goodwin has been a tone-setter at times in his short stint for the Lakers—a most notable example being in their 107-96 win over Phoenix in mid-March. His impact didn't stand out in the box score, but his effort left a trusting impression on Redick, who praised him after the game:
"Never judge a player based solely on his box score. Jordan Goodwin was incredible tonight, and he had 2 points and 4 fouls. He set the tone for us," Redick said after the March 16 win.
Goodwin has averaged 6.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 19 games for the Lakers. He's shot 41.3% from 3-point range, while shooting 47% overall from the floor. His hustle on the glass, even as a six-foot-five-inch guard, has him averaging 1.5 offensive rebounds a game.
The Illinois native has posted five or more rebounds in six games — his most being eight rebounds, which he did three times for the Lakers.
Reddish averaged 3.2 points and two rebounds in 33 games (eight starts) for the Lakers this season. He was part of the teams rescinded trade with the Hornets that originally had him and rookie guard Dalton Knecht going to Charlotte for big man Mark Williams.