With the excitement of the imminent regular season comes the harsh reality that some players will be released and left off of the opening night roster. After first cutting Robert Upshaw and Michael Frazier on Tuesday, it appears the Los Angeles Lakers have added another name to go with them.
Jonathan Holmes entered training camp with a lot of fans curious to see what the rookie could do and if he could play his way on to the 15-man final roster.
Despite his impressive showing in the Las Vegas summer league for the Boston Celtics, Holmes only saw on average of 7.5 minutes of action during the preseason. Holmes averaged just two points and three rebounds per game before having his chances officially derailed after separating his shoulder while diving on the floor for a loose ball, which ultimately resulted in an easy bucket on the other end.
The Lakers waited a few days, but they officially released Holmes on Friday:
Lakers cut Jonathan Holmes who they promised $100k on signing – could be a D-Fenders option
— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) October 23, 2015
Pincus notes that he could possibly end up on the Los Angeles D-Fenders, keeping him close to the Lakers in case they want to continue to evaluate and monitor his progress. This is his rookie season and he possesses some intriguing qualities, such as his versatility to play either forward spot and his overall upside.
Holmes was thought by many to be a first round caliber prospect back in June, but went undrafted instead. Now he will have to recover from his injury, then continue to work to get another crack at an NBA roster. Getting game repetitions in the D-League could be a great opportunity for him to develop and showcase his current skill set.
Meanwhile, the Lakers still have one more player to waive in order to trim the roster down to 15 players before the season opener on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It sounds like it will come down to either Metta World Peace or Jabari Brown. The Lakers will have to decide between a young prospect or veteran leadership.
Whichever route they choose, we will know in the coming days leading up to the start of the regular season.
