Former Lakers Sparkplug Cut By Jazz

With his defensive intensity, he became an immediate fan favorite for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. But he was sent to the Utah Jazz this summer in the trade to acquire another defensive specialist Patrick Beverley. Now Stanley Johnson is back out on the free agent market, let go by the Jazz. 

As the Utah Jazz trim their roster down to 15 players, veteran forward Stanley Johnson became the latest victim of a numbers crunch, announcing he'd been released following the team's final preseason game Friday. https://t.co/VgnBwKJM90 pic.twitter.com/4pQksjL8O4

— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) October 15, 2022

The 7-year veteran was, as noted by Jazz reporter Eric Walden, a victim of a numbers crunch in Utah. Johnson was clearly behind Lauri Markkanen, Jarred Vanderbilt, Kelly Olynyk, and rookie Walker Kessler in the team’s big-man rotation. 

But before Lakers fans get too excited about a possible Stanley Johnson reunion: it's unfortunately not to be. At least for this year. 

A bunch of Lakers fans are about to learn about the Zydrunas Ilgauskas rule (cannot sign a player you traded then got cut by the team you traded him to for the rest of that league year) https://t.co/KNT3ta7Hif

— Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) October 15, 2022

The "Zydrunas Ilgauskas rule" (named after the former longtime Cleveland Cavaliers center) states that a team cannot sign a player that they traded and then got cut by the team they traded him to for the rest of that season. 

Johnson will now have to peddle his defensive wares to the other 28 teams in the league. 

Last season with the Lakers, he averaged 6.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in about 22 high-energy minutes per game. 

Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports