According to the team's official website, both Keith Appling and Jeremy Tyler were waived to put the official roster count at 17.
Appling was a college star at Michigan State and was hoping to show he could be a quality backup point guard at the next level. With Steve Nash dealing with various injuries, this could have been quite valuable for the Lakers.
Unfortunately, he suffered a shoulder injury in his second preseason game against the Utah Jazz. Before coming out, he scored two points with three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes. The injury ended up being a shoulder subluxation, the same problem that kept him out of games in college.
While unfair, this was the nail in the coffin for Appling's chances of making the opening-day roster. Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times notes how this affected his pay:
You can question whether this is far, but there is no doubt the Lakers made the right decision about letting him go.
The loss of Tyler might end up being bigger, as the three-year veteran had actually proven the ability to be a productive player in the NBA. He has spent time with the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, averaging 3.6 points in 104 games.
However, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports notes that the player had other plans for the season:
This roster move could make things interesting as the team makes the final decisions regarding the roster. With 13 of the 17 players having guaranteed contracts, it really comes down to Ronnie Price, Wayne Ellington, Jabari Brown and Roscoe Smith getting two spots.
Of this group, Price seems the best lock to make the team after a solid preseason. He is averaging 8.5 points...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
