Lakers Finalize Roster Around LeBron, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers will do whatever it takes to adjust the roster to perfection. This time the team has made the final cuts to bring the group below the NBA maximum of 15 full-time players. Sam Oliver, Chaundee Brown, and Trevelin Queen. Well, cutting Joel Ayayi was a big surprise because most analysts saw him as a good option for the team.

Brown, Ayayi, and Queen were part of the Lakers’ 2021 Summer League team. Oliver saw some action at the end of the 2020-21 NBA season as a member of the Houston Rockets. Queen, Brown, and Oliver inked Exhibit 10 deals with the team before training camp. They have a good chance to join the South Bay Lakers. The same happened to Mac McClung and Frank Mason III. The Lakers cut both players and now they are playing under SBL head coach Miles Simon. The head coach accepted the job after four years as an assistant coach under Luke Walton and Frank Vogel.

Lakers have cut Chaundee Brown, Joel Ayayi, Cam Oliver, and Trevelin Queen, though all can still be signed to the G League and join the South Bay Lakers.

Ayayi's waiving frees up one of 2 two-way contracts. The Lakers signed Sekou Doumbouya on a two-way earlier this week. pic.twitter.com/SyezlaMPds

— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) October 15, 2021

Lakers to make more roster changes in the season

We don’t have much information about Ayayi’s future. The Lakers waived him from a two-way contract just to have him on their G League squad. It was a disappointing preseason for the team and Ayayi wasn’t at his best in the summer league. We have a good reason to believe that he will go somewhere else.

Sekou Doumbouya is the only two-way player on the Lakers roster. LA has an open two-way deal for another player as well.

As expected, Mac McClung will join the South Bay Lakers. (Exhibit-10 contracts incentivize waived players to sign with that team's G-League affiliate).

Mac's waiving clears room for forward Sekou Doumbouya — who was signed on a two-way on Tuesday — to join the Lakers in camp. https://t.co/H9z3j59dZ3

— michael corvo (@_michaelcorvo_) October 13, 2021

Vogel will enter the regular season with 14 players and this shouldn’t be a surprise. General Manager Rob Pelinka said the team will have an open spot on the roster to save tax money and get buyout candidates to boost the current roster.

LA added great veterans in the offseason but they have a few injuries on the current list. Several players won’t join the team in the opening game, but the roster is expected to look much better later in the season. LeBron James is an optimist. He just knows that everyone has to stay healthy.