Despite the potential for a Hollywood reunion, the Los Angeles Lakers will be barred by a little thing called the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The Utah Jazz announced over the weekend that they have waived veteran wing Stanley Johnson as part of their final roster cuts before the regular season. Johnson was acquired from the Lakers along with Talen Horton-Tucker as part of the Patrick Beverley trade in July.
The news of Johnson being cut by Utah led to rampant speculation from Lakers fans that Johnson might potentially be able to return to the Lakers. However, Danny Leroux of The Athletic notes that a rule in the NBA CBA prevents teams from bringing back a player that they traded away without waiting a full year first. It is known informally as “The Zydrunas Ilgauskas Rule” after the longtime Cleveland Cavaliers big man who was traded to the Washington Wizards, got bought out, and then returned to the Cavs during the same NBA season, sparking leaguewide outcry. The next CBA upped the waiting period from 30 days to a full year as a result.
Johnson, who averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 22.8 minutes a game for the Lakers last year, is a frisky two-way player who may not be without a team for long. But the Lakers will not be able to re-acquire Johnson during the 2022-23 season, forcing them to potentially turn to this target instead for outside wing help.
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