On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers made a couple moves official. The team has added Julian Jacobs and Travis Wear to the training camp roster, via Lakers.com:
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Julian Jacobs and forward Travis Wear, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
The addition of the two non-drafted players forms an 18-man group for the Lakers heading into training camp. The team also recently announced the signing of Zach Auguste, an undrafted rookie from the University of Notre Dame.
The training camp invitations come with an audition to impress new head coach Luke Walton, as he takes over the reigns of the franchise.
Jacobs played for three seasons at the University of Southern California, where he averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game during the 2015-2016 season. As a junior, the Nevada native declared for the NBA Draft, only to fall victim to the cruel draft process of the National Basketball Association.
The athletic two-way guard showed promise towards the end of his collegiate career, collecting 16 points in the opening round loss to Utah in the NCAA tournament.
The battle to gain recognition in the backcourt will be a highly contested one, as Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell will lead Walton’s new offense. With Marcelo Huertas, Jose Calderon, Lou Williams, and Nick Young still on the roster, Jacobs is headed for an uphill battle.
Wear spent the 2014-2015 NBA season with the New York Knicks, appearing in 51 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.2 minutes played per game.
The athletic small forward then dipped in the international pool, playing for San Sebastîan of Liga ABC, the top professional league in Spain. For Wear, the training camp invite will involve a crowded frontcourt, alongside the recent addition of Yi Jianlian.
With 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster, some coinciding roster moves may be made heading into training camp.