Lakers News: L.A. Waives Three Training Camp Players
Your Los Angeles Lakers have announced in a press release that, as expected, they have opted to release their three remaining Exhibit 10 training camp signings, guards Shaquille Harrison and Nate Pierre-Louis, as well as center Jay Huff. Given that the NBA requires teams to field rosters of no more than 15 players on standard deals and two players inked to two-way contracts, the team was ultimately going to have to release these additions, after it word leaked earlier today that the club would be retaining sharpshooting wing Matt Ryan, the 15th player on their standard roster (though the contracts of Ryan, Austin Reaves, and Wenyen Gabriel are all currently non-guaranteed this season), at least into the start of the 2022-23 NBA regular season.
The club could have theoretically waived one or both of its two-way signings, undrafted rookies Scotty Pippen Jr., a 6'1" point guard out of Vanderbilt, and Cole Swider, a 6'9" forward out of Syracuse, had it wanted to clear space for two of the Harrison/Pierre-Louis/Huff triumvirate.
Instead, it appears most likely that all three could join the Lakers' NBA G League affiliate team, the South Bay Lakers, if they clear waivers. Should any of these three cut players linger with South Bay for 60 days or more, they will be eligible for a $50,000 bonus from the team.
Pierre-Louis, a 6'4" shooting guard out of Temple, spent the 2021-22 season with the South Bay Lakers, where he averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks across 32 contests. More recently, he suited up for L.A.'s Summer League roster.
Harrison appeared in just two games for L.A., aveaging 1.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and an assist in 12 minutes. The hyper-athletic 29-year-old is a 6'4" guard who lacks much of a shooting touch but remains a solid, swarming defender. The 6'4" guard went drafted out of Tulsa, and holds career league averages of 5.2 points, 2.4 assists and 1.5 dimes through 175 NBA games.
The 7'1" Huff, who had been inked to a two-way contract by Los Angeles last season, had a minimal role with the Lakers through three preseason games. He posted averages of four point, four rebounds, an assist and 0.7 blocks a night, in just 9.5 minutes.
