The Los Angeles Lakers have decided to not renew Derrick Williams for a second 10-day contract.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. A lot of those injuries came at the forward spot and on the wing. As a result, the team signed forward Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract on March 9th.
Williams contract was up this weekend, and the Lakers had a decision to make. Would they sign Williams to another 10-day contract, or let him hit free agency again? According to Bill Oram of the OC Register, the Lakers will not be re-signing Williams.
According to Oram, Williams’ deal was set to expire on Sunday and the team decided to not bring him back for a second 10-day contract.
Derrick Williams 10-day contract with the Lakers expired Sunday and was not renewed.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) March 19, 2018
This is a move that shouldn’t be coming as a surprise. When Williams was signed, the Lakers had a ton of injuries. Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart were all sidelined. Those are three integral parts of the Lakers rotation.
More from Lake Show Life
- Lakers have unrealistic hopes for Russell Westbrook
- Insider suggests Lakers are saving 2029 pick for a different trade
- Lakers are finally coming to their senses about a Kyrie Irving trade
- Nets may end up getting more than two Lakers’ first-round picks after all
- Joe Tsai’s tweet indicates a Kyrie Irving trade will happen for Lakers
Fast forward to now, and the Lakers are getting healthier. Kuzma ended up missing only one game against the Golden State Warriors on March 14th. Ingram is getting closer to a return, as he was cleared this week for non-contact basketball activities. He joined the Lakers on their current four-game road trip, so there is a good chance he returns sometime in the next week.
In addition to those two players getting healthy, the Lakers are also receiving positive contributions from Travis Wear. Wear has spent a majority of the season with the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He is in the midst of his second 10-day contract, and there is a good chance he gets signed to rest of the season deal once that one expires.
Williams played a majority of his Lakers’ minutes in the game against the Warriors. He scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting with one rebound in eight minutes. He also got into the scorebook against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the last team he played for in the NBA last season.
Next: 50 Greatest Players In Lakers Franchise History
With Williams not being retained, the Lakers roster now sits at 14 players. That includes the two players on two-way deals in Alex Caruso and Gary Payton II. Los Angeles could sign another player in the coming days. If another injury occurs, they have the roster flexibility to make another move.