Through the first 24 games of the 2019-20 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers are tied for the best record at 21-3.
While all of the attention is naturally on LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers continue to develop young players with their G League affiliate South Bay Lakers.
As it remains a crucial part of the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker has played on the G League team with Kostas Antetokounmpo and Zach Norvell Jr. to name a few.
Although Norvell Jr. was one of the two players to receive a two-way deal, the Lakers have waived him for Devontae Cacok, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic:
The Lakers are waiving guard Zach Norvell Jr. and signing forward Devontae Cacok to a two-way contract, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 11, 2019
From the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League to 2019 NBA preseason, both Norvell Jr. and Cacok played for the Lakers. And at this time, it is unclear what led to this decision.
In 12 appearances, Norvell Jr. averaged 13.3 points (35.3 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from the three-point line), 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 24.7 minutes.
As for Cacok, he is averaging 16.3 points (66.4 percent from the field) and 11.7 rebounds in just 22.8 minutes per game.
While Norvell Jr. quickly became a Lakers fan favorite, Cacok showed he is an NBA-level player who understands his role despite going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.