Lakers News: Expert Believes LA Will Add New Player This Weekend

Los Angeles has an opening on its standard roster.

Los Angeles Lakers team vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka may not be quite done constructing the team's 2022-23 roster.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report expressed confidence today that LA could ink a new player Sunday, the end of the regular season and the last day teams can make roster adjustments ahead of the postseason, which kicks off on Wednesday with a pair of play-in games.

Pincus went on to speculate that Los Angeles would add a new player on a rest-of-season deal that could also include some language about a contract for 2023-24, probably partially guaranteed or non-guaranteed.

This news comes with a big caveat: Pincus isn't actually citing a team source in relaying this intel. Thus, it's entirely possible that tomorrow comes and goes without the Lakers taking advantage of the available 15th spot on their standard 15-man roster.

LA has both its two-way player spots currently occupied, by rookies Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider. Neither player seemed to make much of an impression on Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, who has played each a total of six games. Both have looked competent with LA's G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. 

The Lakers could look to promote one of Pippen or Swider without making a correlating move on their main roster. The team could also look beyond them to add another player entirely.

After (rightfully) taking a slew of criticism for his disastrous trade to acquire Russell Westbrook, Pelinka made some deft maneuvers to get off Brodie's heinous contract, plus the overpriced deals of point guards Patrick Beverly and Kendrick Nunn, ahead of this year's trade deadline. The newly revamped Lakers have looked markedly better. Pelinka just might know what he's doing after all.

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