15th Roster Spot Might Have To Be Used

Coming into the regular season, the plan for the Los Angeles Lakers was to leave the 15th roster spot open. They would carry 14 players so that they would have some flexibility and maneuverability should a move need to be made midseason.

The Lakers are normally very active on the buyout market, which we already saw them dip into twice in the offseason. That is how they landed Rajon Rondo and DeAndre Jordan, as they were bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies and Detroit Pistons, respectively, after trades from the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets.

But, that strategy may have to be adjusted. The Lakers may not be afforded the luxury of only carrying 14 players because of the injury to Ariza.

Playing with only 13 healthy players for more than a quarter of the season could be an unnecessary burden on the roster. The Lakers currently have a two-way contract still available and could use that as a way to have another player available to deploy. Two-way players can be active for up to 50 regular-season games before their contract will have to be upgraded to a guaranteed deal.

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That could be one way for the Lakers to keep their 15th roster spot open. But, if they don’t find a player they like enough to fill that second two-way slot, they might have to bite the bullet and add another veteran to the mix until Ariza is healthy.