Los Angeles Lakers Roster for NBA 2016-17 Season: Brandon Ingram, Yi Jianlian, Jordan Clarkson and Luol Deng Gears Up; Latest Transactions and Starters Revealed
Brandon Ingram and Yi Jianlian will join the Los Angeles Lakers' roster this 2016-17 season. Brandon Ingram, coming in fresh form the 2016 draft, signs the deal on Tuesday. On the contrary, Yi Jianlian is a veteran returnee to the NBA.
Brandon Ingram
Brandon Ingram is the second overall draft pick for this year. Ingram will join the Lakers although there are rumors surrounding the late approval for the contract. The primary reason seen is the team trying to free space in the salary cap. The deal with Ingram gave more cap flexibility for the Lakers if there are late adjustments this preseason.
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Ingram is now a centerpiece for Lakers offense next season. The pressure is amplified with the need to provide support for Jordan Clarkson and Luol Deng after Kobe Bryant's retirement. It is more likely that Ingram will play dual position of shooting guard and small forward. The said scenario is possible if he will not start the game.
Yi Jianlian
Meanwhile, another confirmed addition to the squad is the veteran Yi Jianlian. The former Dallas star leads the Chinese Rio contingent with 20.4 points and 6.6 rebounds. He is also boasting an impressive 47 percent accuracy from over the arc.
To recall, Yi is in 4-year hiatus from the NBA. The last squad he played was Dallas Mavericks before ending a five-year stint with average of 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds. Yi also starts 163 games out of 272 appearances in the premier hardcourt.
There is no confirmation yet about the contract amount that Yi signed. The best guess however is a minimum deal of $1 million for a year to a possible $8 million for two years.
L.A. Lakers starting squad
Now looking at the depth of the 2016-17 LA Lakers, there are no other significant changes in the starters. D'Angelo Russel will still be the primary playmaker with Jose Calderon on the rotation. The drawback is on the shooting guard with Jordan Clarkson now forced to extended minutes because of just one substitute. Luol Deng will be at the paint for the small forward role. Then for the power forward, Julius Randle will share with Larry Nance.
The biggest piece of the puzzle for the squad is Yi Jianlian to protect the rim. The Lakers has just Timofey Mozgov before Yi's arrival. The only other option is Ivica Zubac but the problem is his limited playtime.
