The Lakers’ roster is all but set at this point. With reports that Yi Jianlian is joining the team, the team currently holds 15 players. However, there is still room for potentially one more addition if Nick Young is traded or waived, as is expected. Additionally, the team will be able to take five more players into training camp.
As such, the team is working out several free agents. The Lakers hosted a group of 13 free agents on Wednesday. The group included rookie free agents like Nikola Jovanovic, who joined the Lakers in Summer League. More notably, the Lakers worked out several NBA vets including Jeff Ayres, P.J. Hairston, Johnny O’Bryant, and former Laker Xavier Henry.
Henry is perhaps the most notable name in the group. A wing out of Kansas, Henry had his best stretch of professional basketball in the Purple and Gold. He averaged 10 points per game in 2013-14, surprising everyone with his talents. Unfortunately, he was not able to shake off the injury bug that has haunted him during his entire career. Henry spent last year rehabbing and playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the D-League.
The most notable other player in the Lakers’ workouts is perhaps P.J. Hairston. A small forward out of North Carolina, Hairston has been an intriguing prospect for years. His athleticism and talent is undeniable but he has been unable to put everything together. Attitude concerns have followed the 23-year-old throughout his career, but perhaps he can finally take a step forward in his NBA career.
None of the players worked out by the Lakers on Wednesday are prime candidates to join the main roster. However, they could get training camp invites and compete for the final spot on the regular season team.
Selfishly, I hope it’s Xavier Henry if only to strike fear in the heart of Jeff Withey once again.
