Shooting guard Shake Milton has shared what he is going to bring to the Los Angeles Lakers after being traded from the Brooklyn Nets.
Dec 27, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Shake Milton (7) drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) in the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The NBA world was shaken when the Los Angeles Lakers sent guard D’Angelo Russell, forward Maxwell Lewis, and three future NBA draft picks in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton in a blockbuster trade.
While Finney-Smith is the main draw with his near-decade of NBA experience and defensive prowess, fans are less aware of what Milton can bring to the Lakers franchise.
Fortunately, Milton was more than ready to answer the question.
According to Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet, Milton views himself as an immediate playmaker coming off of the bench who can do anything.
“I definitely do – whether it’s me being on the ball, attacking the paint, creating for myself or others, or whether it’s me spotting up and shooting 3’s,” Milton said. “I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do.”
This has been the case for Milton over his entire career, who was originally selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 54th pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft. However, he was soon traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the 56th and 60th picks: Ray Spalding and Kostas Antetokounmpo.
Milton spent most of his rookie year in the G League, only playing 20 games for Philadelphia. However, his sophomore season showed promise before truly coming into his own in his third season.
For the 2020-21 NBA season, Milton averaged 13 points, 3.1 assists, 2.3 total rebounds, and 0.6 steals per game across 63 games. He was in the running for NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
Milton’s most significant game for the Sixers came on March 1, 2020, when he scored 39 points in a 136-130 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He tied the record for most consecutive 3-pointers made over three games with 13.
Since then, Milton has maintained a constant presence as an effective weapon off the bench, averaging 8.5 points, 2.5 assists, 2.2 total rebounds, and 0.5 steals over his NBA tenure.
In his seven-year career, Milton has played for the 76ers, the Nets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Detroit Pistons, and the New York Knicks. He played for all three of the latter teams in the 2023-24 NBA season.
Now, Milton is bringing his talents to Los Angeles, where he can prove invaluable to a team that has a good amount of injured or older players