Lakers are letting go of Nick Smith Jr.

Last September, the Los Angeles Lakers took a flyer on Nick Smith Jr., a former first-round draft pick in 2023, by signing him to a two-way contract. While he rarely got playing time, he did have a few strong games, including a 25-point, six-assist effort versus the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 3.

>The guard ended up averaging 6.2 points on 43.5% overall shooting and 39.5% from 3-point range in 12.5 minutes a game. Smith's deal was converted to a standard contract in April, making him eligible for the playoffs, but on Monday, the Lakers declined his team option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent, per Keith Smith.

"The Los Angeles Lakers declined their team option for Nick Smith Jr., a league source told @spotrac," Smith wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Los Angeles is in a place where it needs to accumulate young, promising players who have athleticism and two-way ability. It looks like Smith didn't show the team enough in either category to stick around.

>His departure could open up a trickle of playing time for Cameron Carr, the No. 24 pick in last week's draft. Carr, who is 6-foot-5, has tremendous athleticism and is a capable outside shooter, as well as someone who has the potential to become a plus defender. He is someone who could help L.A. right away more than Smith did.

>This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Lakers are letting go of Nick Smith Jr.