The Los Angeles Lakers continue to fill out their roster, as they signed Summer League standout, Jordan Caroline, to a contract.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a busy offseason. The roster has been overhauled, as Anthony Davis was acquired to be the second superstar alongside LeBron James.
As a result of that trade, and waiting out Kawhi Leonard, the Lakers filled out the roster with plenty of new faces. Troy Daniels, Jared Dudley, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook were added, as Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee were re-signed.
There will be plenty of fierce competition at training camp as players will be looking to lock down a spot in the rotation. Another player to keep an eye on is Jordan Caroline.
Caroline was added to the Lakers‘ Summer League roster after going undrafted this year. He parlayed that opportunity into a contract with the team. The Lakers signed him, but details of the contract were not revealed, per team policy.
This contract was well earned. Caroline was one of the best players for the Lakers in Las Vegas, averaging 16 points to go along with 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He was the team’s leading scorer despite playing only 20.8 minutes per game and attempting 8.5 shots.
More from Lake Show Life
- 3 keys to the Los Angeles Lakers shocking the world next season
- 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
A big reason for the high scoring total was his efficiency. Caroline shot the ball extremely well no matter where he was on the court. From the 3-point line, he knocked down 57.1 percent, going 8-of-14. He lived at the free throw line and made them count, knocking down 84.6 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe, going 22-of-26 overall.
The improved shooting numbers are eye-catching. During his collegiate career, at Southern Illinois and Nevada, Caroline wasn’t known as a knockdown shooter but shot a respectable 34.8 percent from the 3-point line. He struggled at the free throw line, making only 64.6 percent.
If Caroline has figured something out with his shooting stroke, he should make his way onto an NBA roster. He is a tenacious rebounder, averaging 8.4 in his collegiate career, finishing as the all-time leading rebounder in Mountain West Conference history.
At 6’7″ and 235 pounds, Caroline has the size to play multiple positions. He could thrive in the positionless game that the NBA is transitioning into. Given his rebounding ability and improving shooting stroke, Caroline could become a versatile weapon for teams to deploy.