The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the most active teams in the 2021 offseason. After successfully acquiring Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards, the Lakers filled their roster with the signings of Kendrick Nunn, Dwight Howard, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, and Trevor Ariza.
With their recent additions, it’s no longer surprising that the Lakers are once again considered as one of the heavy favorites to fully dominate the Western Conference and capture the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2021-22 NBA season.
CJ McCollum Reacts To Lakers’ Signing Of Kendrick Nunn
In a recent interview with Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on The Woj Pod, Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum talked about several interesting topics, including the moves the Lakers made this summer. McCollum doesn’t have any problem with the Lakers’ decision to upgrade their roster, but he doesn’t seem happy with their signing of Nunn.
“The Kendrick Nunn situation,” McCollum said, as quoted by Brad Sullivan of Heat Nation. “He was gonna be a free agent. They basically waited until the money dried up, right? You correct me if I’m wrong. Have you (Wojnarowski) seen this happening in the league and not being discussed at all? Where they talk about players forcing their way out, player movement. But then what about the manipulation that goes into some of these situations where teams are waiting for the market to dry up before they release a player’s rights.”
CJ McCollum Thinks Kendrick Nunn Could Get A Better Contract If Heat Release Him Earlier
To be clear, McCollum isn’t directly frustrated towards the Purple and Gold. The two-year deal worth $ 10.3 million he recently signed with the Lakers is still considered a decent contract for a player of Nunn’s caliber. However, as the newly-elected president of the National Basketball Players Association, McCollum is annoyed by how the Heat handled Nunn’s free agency.
Had the Heat pulled out the qualifying offer for Nunn earlier and let him become an unrestricted free agent, McCollum believes that the 26-year-old floor general could have earned a bigger payday.
Kendrick Nunn ‘Honored’ To Join The Lakers
Despite how things ended between him and the Heat this summer, Nunn seems to be happy with his decision to join the Purple and Gold. After his signing became official, the 26-year-old point guard said that he’s "honored" to wear the Lakers’ jersey and represent the city of Los Angeles.
"It means a lot. I’m honored to be in this position to put on an L.A. Lakers jersey and it’s a powerhouse franchise and it means everything," Nunn said, as quoted by Lakers Nation.
Kendrick Nunn Being Called The Lakers’ ‘Silent Assassin’
Nunn is yet to play a single game as a member of the Lakers, but he already got his own nickname in Los Angeles. One of the Lakers’ newest acquisitions, Trevor Ariza, called Nunn the team’s "Silent Assassin." The monicker the "Silent Assassin" perfectly fits Nunn.
As SB Nation’s Silver Screen And Roll noted, Nunn is the type of player who could go unnoticed but still find a way to be deadly on the floor. Whether they want him to play as a point guard, move off the ball, or defend multiple positions, Nunn said that he’s willing to do anything just to help the Lakers win it all next season.
