The Los Angeles Lakers still have one roster spot to fill. Who will be the lucky 15th player signed by the Lakers before the start of training camp?
The Los Angeles Lakers have been extremely active this offseason.
Anthony Davis signed a record contract extension, and Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt all re-signed during free agency too. The Lakers also added Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood as outside free agents. Not to mention drafting two talented rookies in Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis.
With 14 roster spots now filled for the purple and gold, and a roster that has depth at virtually every position, it would be understandable for general manager Rob Pelinka to go into the season with an open roster spot and see what players they can acquire in the buyout market after the trade deadline.
If I were a betting man, I would bet that the purple and gold do keep the roster spot open.
However, with the NBA’s introduction of a third two-way roster spot this season, the Lakers’ ability to keep that third player may be in jeopardy. If a team isn’t carrying a full 15-man roster, its two-way players can only be active for a combined 90 games.
To fully utilize the two-way contracts, the Lakers will need to add a 15th player.