Lakers: 3 Players Who Could Fill LA’s Final Roster Spot
By Eric Yee
Here are three quick options the Los Angeles Lakers could look at to fill their final roster spot
Despite having yet to officially sign Brandon Ingram, Marcelo Huertas and Tarik Black, and with the future of Nick Young being unknown at this point, the Lakers technically have 14 players on their roster meaning they have one spot left to be filled.
Quickly looking at the team’s current depth chart, there isn’t a glaring hole that needs to be addressed, as each position is nearly three players deep, with the exception of shooting guard and power forward.
That said, both of these positions are assumed to be locked down by the likes of Jordan Clarkson/Lou Williams and Julius Randle/Larry Nance Jr. respectively. Regardless, with one more spot available the team should use it on a player who could either grow with or help develop their young core this season.
Here are three quick options the Lakers should look at with their final roster spot.
Zach Auguste
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Averaging 5.2 points and four rebounds in 15.8 minutes of play a game for the Lakers during Summer League, Auguste’s stats might not be the most impressive but he does the little things and that can’t be ignored.
Auguste’s hustle and energy helped the team come back from the 15 point deficit against the Philadelphia 76ers which ended with D’Angelo Russell’s “ice in my veins” game winning three.
Though he’ll likely get little playing time behind Nance Jr and Randle, Auguste will be a great practice player who will push both of them to get better on a daily basis.
Metta World Peace
At this point, the Lakers depth chart looks to be set in terms of playing time, but the team could still use guys like Metta World Peace to help develop their players during practice.
Similar to what Jose Calderon will bring to D’Angelo Russell, World Peace could teach Brandon Ingram some things about playing the small forward that less experienced players couldn’t.
Like what last season should have been, this season will likely not be about wins and losses but more so about developing a culture and building a foundation for the future.
Larry Sanders
Since stepping away from the game in 2015, Larry Sanders has hinted at several comebacks, though he seems to do it more to tease fan bases than in actual seriousness. However, were he to really come out of retirement, the Lakers would likely try to steal him away before another team could.
In 2015, via The Players’ Tribune, Sanders laid out some reasons for his decision to retire saying,
"I love basketball, I’ll always be playing basketball, but for it to be consuming so much of my life and time right now… it’s not there for me, it’s not that worth it."
More over,
"People say, ‘How could you be unhappy there [in the NBA]? How could that be a place you don’t wanna be?’ You know values and relationships with the people I love around me, you know, that’s like my real riches"
While this was over a year ago, and Larry Sanders has played at a possible comeback, for now it seems more like a pipe dream than a reality that he actually come back to play in the NBA this upcoming season. Again, that said, were he to decide to do so, the Lakers would definitely try to secure his services.
Next: Larry Nance Jr's Top 5 Plays From Summer League
But for now, it seems like Auguste is the best bet at this point in time.