Optimism about the Los Angeles Lakers’ future ran rampant in the summer leading up to the 2024 NBA season.
Many experts had crowned the Lakers as NBA title contenders off of what was considered at the time to be a strong free agency from Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. A key reason for this was the signing of Miami Heat point guard Gabe Vincent. In fact, this signing was the biggest Lakers offseason move of the summer as the Lakers used their full non-taxpayer MLE on Vincent, signing him to a three-year, $33 million deal.
Unfortunately, many of Pelinka’s offseason moves didn’t pan out. The Lakers fell from preseason title contenders to a first-round exit after a disappointing season that required them to win a play-in game for the third time in four seasons. Vincent spent most of the season injured. In the minutes he did play, he was inefficient and had little impact.
So, what went wrong?
Beginnings
Like many of the Heat players crucial to the 2023 championship run, Vincent has a unique story.
Just like former teammates Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson, Vincent went undrafted. He spent four years at UC Santa Barbara, averaging 12.8 points throughout his 113-game career. He also racked up a few awards, being named Big West Freshman of the Year in his first year at UCSB and winning a Big West Honorable Mention in his sophomore season.
Vincent’s college career, however, foreshadowed some of the injury struggles he has faced in the NBA. Just as he was gaining traction in the NCAA, he suffered a significant knee injury with eight games left in the season. He regained some ground in his senior season, finishing second all-time at USCB in three-pointers made and earning a spot on the 2018 Second Team All-Big West.
Early NBA Career
Though none of these accomplishments landed him a spot in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings saw enough potential to sign him to an Exhibit-10 contract.
However, he was quickly waived from the Exhibit-10, and instead spent time playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Stockton Kings of the G-League during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In the G-League, he would win Most Improved Player of the 2019-2020 season, impressing NBA teams by averaging 23.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
His first big break would be in 2020 when the Miami Heat signed him to a two-way contract on January 8th. “Belief and persistence” were two traits that Vincent referenced as his keys to success during this time and this mentality translated in a big way during his time in Miami.
The Breakout in South Beach
When Vincent entered the NBA he was slotted in as a two-guard. But with elite scores like Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and even star Jimmy Butler already excelling in that role, Erik Spoelstra knew that Vincent needed to transition to a point guard who could organize the offense and bring up the ball.
Many young NBA players have struggled with this transition. One of the biggest challenges for athletes entering the NBA is understanding that, while they may be used to being the best player on their high school and college teams, success in the big leagues comes from accepting a defined role in a greater system. This is especially true for young players like Gabe Vincent, who have limited opportunities at the NBA level and have exceptional pressure to make the most of the role they are given. According to Spoelstra, however, Vincent “embraced that” and gained increased playing time over the next two seasons.
The 2021-2022 NBA season was just as important as his 2023 NBA Finals run. Gabe was able to crack the rotation as Kyle Lowry’s backup, even earning the nod to start 27 times while Miami clinched the first seed in the Eastern Conference. He also contributed in the playoffs, playing in all 18 games while averaging 8.0 points as the Heat lost in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Finals Run
In 2023, Vincent remained a backup and was dropped even further on the depth chart due to Miami’s acquisition of Victor Oladipo.
Despite this, Vincent still provided invaluable minutes during the regular season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. Entering the playoffs, the 8th-seeded Miami Heat were slated to play the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The NBA world had minimal expectations for the Heat, but a freak injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo opened up the series, igniting the Heat’s surprising NBA finals run.
Vincent stepped up in a major way during this run. In that same first-round series against Milwaukee, Herro and Oladipo were taken out by injuries, and Vincent took over the starting role, where he excelled. He averaged the third-most points on the Heat throughout the playoffs, propelling them to numerous unlikely victories. His standout performance of the postseason came in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets, when he shot 8-12 from the field and scored 23 points. His defense against Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. was also elite throughout the Finals.
Signing with Los Angeles
As the 2023-24 season approached, the Los Angeles Lakers were coming off of a surprise Western Conference Finals run of their own. To get past the Nuggets, Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka sought to add a few pieces to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Pelinka believed that Vincent was one of those pieces and signed him to a 3-year, $33 million deal, a significant upgrade from his previous 2-year, $3.5 million deal in Miami.
Unfortunately, Vincent struggled with injuries throughout the season and his on-court performance didn’t impress either. He entered the season with an unspecified knee injury and played only five games before being sidelined on December 20th due to another knee injury.
This absence lasted three months, a time when the Lakers struggled exceptionally. Vincent returned on March 31st and continued to struggle for playing time, finishing the regular season averaging just 3.1 points and 1.9 assists in nearly 20 minutes a night. He shot an abysmal 10.7% from three, with his season high of just nine points coming against the Orlando Magic.
Vincent’s 2024 season had few bright spots, but one of them was his continued ability to defend on the perimeter against elite offensive players like Murray.
The Future
The truth is, the Lakers need Gabe Vincent.
They did not sign any new free agents or make any trades during the 2024 offseason, once again betting on continuity. Vincent was signed by the Lakers to be an efficient sixth man and to potentially take starter minutes if either D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves got injured. By not making a move, Pelinka is essentially doubling down on the players he signed in 2023, including Vincent.
Not long ago, Vincent was hitting clutch threes to win an NBA Finals game, defending Jamal Murray like a pest, and stepping up for his injured teammates.
That is the version of Vincent the Lakers need if they hope to compete for a championship this season.
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