Darren Collison Considering Return To NBA, Lakers As Choice

Darren Collison decided to retire in the offseason, and this was one of the most shocking decisions. Collison was only 31 years old, and many thought he would receive an awesome contract as one of the best point guards on the free-agent market. However, he announced his decision to retire and did it in an open letter on The Undefeated. Collison needed more time to focus on his family and his faith as a Jehovah’s Witness. Well, he may have changed his mind.

Collison considers a return to the league in February. His top destination is Los Angeles, and he will pick between the Lakers and Clippers. The information was confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Collison is a Southern California native and played collegiately at UCLA. He prioritizes staying close to his family, so yes, LA is his top option.

Collison has already played for the Clippers during the 2013-14 season. He was also part of the then-New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Dallas Mavericks. Collison played his final two NBA seasons with the Pacers in his second stint with the team. This helped him become a top player.

Collison led the league in 3-point percentage during his 2017-18 season. He made 47 percent of his attempts. Collison was above 40 percent last season, but his volume was low because he wanted to only shoot when open. Many would agree that Collison is also an effective pick-and-roll player as he scored 0.92 points per possession as the ball-handler on such plays last season. This puts him in the 72nd percentile league-wide. 

Both LA teams have multiple point guards playing great minutes. The Lakers haven’t shown interest in benching Rajon Rondo or Alex Caruso. Will the Clippers bench Patrick Beverley or Lou Williams? Benching Avery Bradley is not even an option.

This doesn’t mean that Collison can find a home in the league at this point in the season. Players like Collison never become available as free agents beyond the summer months. Even if he doesn’t attract the attention of LA, a great number of teams would love to sign him.