Back in February, when it became clear that the Lakers didn’t have the requisite assets to make an impactful trade at the trade deadline, Darren Collison was the apple of every Los Angeles fan’s eye. The SoCal-born former UCLA point guard checked every box the Lakers were missing (the Clippers, too), and as a free agent, the Lakers could realistically sign him.
As a result, it came as no surprise when the team put on a full-court press to woo Collison, inviting him to a game, seating him next to Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis, and even putting him on the JumboTron so that Lakers could make him feel welcome in their home arena.