The Los Angeles Lakers have been very busy after trading for Russell Westbrook and despite the limitations, Rob Pelinka was able to put together a roster that is not only talented but is one of the deepest in the league as well.
The Lakers signed recently bought out DeAndre Jordan with the 14th roster spot on the team. The Lakers have 14 players who are all legitimate rotation players, most other teams are lucky to have 10 or 11 of said players.
It has been widely accepted that the Lakers would save that 15th and final roster spot for a potential regular-season move. Not only would they be keeping their options open but the team would be saving some money as well as they would not be paying the salary (and tax) of a full-season contract.
While that still makes the most sense on paper, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone against the grain in the past and we very well could see the team defy that line of thinking and sign a 15th player before training camp begins.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers might use their 15th, and final, roster spot:
There really is one name to know when it comes to the 15th roster spot and that is James Ennis. Ennis is a solid depth wing who has been connected to the Lakers earlier in the offseason and would add nice, and needed, wing depth.
You can never have too much wing depth and with the ages of Carmelo Anthony and Trevor Ariza it would be in the team’s best interest to add someone who can provide a shooting stroke off the bench as well as a good defensive presence.
Ennis has been slightly above-average as a defender in his career but Frank Vogel would absolutely get the most out of his size and length. The length of a lineup with Talen Horton-Tucker and James Ennis on the floor would be something to see.
The problem is that multiple other teams are also reportedly interested in Ennis. That could force the Lakers hand to make a move now and figure out the final roster spot later.
Ennis would be a good addition and if the Lakers really want him they are going to have to bite the bullet and sign him soon to make sure he lands in LA. The team could try and wait to figure out the Marc Gasol situation, but that is something that they can accomplish at a later date.
There is no guarantee that Gasol returns next season. The Lakers probably hope that he retires that way they are not on the books for his salary. The team could release him, but they would still be paying his salary and the tax implications.
There are options, though. We broke down how the Lakers could pull off a Marc Gasol trade and actually free up that salary in the process. If push comes to shove, the Lakers could sign Ennis, pull off a Gasol trade and then save that roster spot for a future buyout.
Of course, this only matters if the Lakers really like Ennis. If the team does not like Ennis that much then it is more likely that they will wait it out and see if they can get a better player on the buyout market.
But if the Los Angeles Lakers can sign Ennis and get Gasol out of LA in one fell swoop then they absolutely should do so.