Los Angeles is without Steve Nash, Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar and Kobe Bryant, four players that have a crucial role in the team’s success. As a result, the role players on the roster have seen an increase in minutes and they are required to produce on a nightly basis. However, the front office could cut some players before the deadline on Jan. 10 despite all the injuries the team is facing.
At this point, Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry, Kendall Marshall and Shawne Williams do not have guaranteed contracts past Tuesday and one of them could be waived in the near future.
Henry has been one of the Lakers’ best players this season so it is hard seeing the front office waiving him. Kelly is a promising rookie who has earned minutes with his play on both ends of the court, and with no healthy point guards on the roster, it is unlikely that the Lakers let go of Marshall.
Meaning Williams is the most likely player to be cut by Tuesday.
Lakers still weighing whether to keep all 15 players they have rostered. Xavier, Shawne Williams, Kendall Marshall, Ryan Kelly can be cut
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 6, 2014
Of those, Shawne Williams is only guy I could see being waived Mon. He’s fallen out of rotation, but even that seems unlikely
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 6, 2014
The Lakers will have a lot of questions to answer in the next few days on top of the complicated Pau Gasol trade situation. Gasol’s future with the team is very uncertain and he could be shipped out of Los Angeles. A player could be headed to Cleveland along with Gasol if the Lakers are able to convince the Cavs to trade an asset back to Los Angeles in the deal for Andrew Bynum like Dion Waiters.
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