The Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in signing one of LeBron James’ former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, Cedi Osman, but he declined the offer. Despite his history with James, Osman wasn’t interested in attending the Lakers’ training camp.
Nikola Miloradovic of Eurohoops explained why Osman turned down the opportunity.
“(Osman) also received interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, which invited him for a training camp; however, due to the lack of guarantees about making it to the season roster, he decided to refuse and come back to Europe,” Miloradovic wrote on September 7.
Instead of joining any NBA team’s training camp, Osman opted to return overseas. Although Real Madrid showed interest, Osman signed with Panathinaikos Athens, where he will continue his basketball career in Europe.
This decision doesn’t necessarily signal the end of Osman’s NBA career but places it on hold. He played in the NBA from 2017 to 2024 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs.
Cedi Osman Played With LeBron James in Cleveland
Osman is no stranger to LeBron James’ playing style, having been teammates during James’ final season with the Cavaliers. The pair shared the court during the 2017-18 season, which was also Osman’s rookie year.
During that season, Osman appeared in 61 games, averaging 11 minutes per game. He contributed 3.9 points, 2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game, shooting 48.4% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. While he appeared in 14 playoff games, his role was minimal.
Several of James’ former Cavaliers teammates, including JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, and Isaiah Thomas, eventually joined him in Los Angeles. However, none replicated their previous roles from Cleveland. Similarly, Osman, had he joined the Lakers, would have brought familiarity with James but wanted a guaranteed roster spot, which the Lakers couldn’t provide.
Lakers Named Among Top Landing Spots for Cedi Osman
Before Osman turned down the Lakers’ training camp invitation, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale had listed the Lakers as one of the top landing spots for him. Favale highlighted Osman’s appeal, focusing on his efficiency and how the Lakers could benefit from his skillset.
“Over the past three seasons, the 29-year-old is downing more than 57 percent of his twos and 37 percent of his threes. Just seven other players have hit those marks while also draining as many treys as Osman (330): Duncan Robinson, Corey Kispert, Trey Murphy, Sam Hauser, Al Horford, Michael Porter Jr., and Kevin Durant.
“Remove the marquee names from that list, and you’re still looking at a couple of useful NBA players. Osman is worth a roster spot for rotations in need of shot-making from the wing positions,” Favale wrote on August 30. “Enter the Los Angeles Lakers.
Exactly none of their wings or combo forwards are considered knockdown shooters. Osman would upgrade their spacing at minimum, and his willingness to move without the ball should fit cleanly within head coach JJ Redick’s (presumed) offensive tenets.”
Although the Lakers agreed with Favale’s assessment, Osman wasn’t willing to compete for a roster spot without guaranteed security. As a result, the Lakers will now look elsewhere for training camp additions.
