The Los Angeles Lakers are a woeful 4-13 on the season and haven't generated much in the way of good news thus far.
Between Kobe Bryant holding the offense hostage—with occasional breaks to set cool records—and a defense that is allowing a league-worst 113.7 points per 100 possessions, via ESPN.com's Hollinger rankings, there has been very little in the way of hope for Lakers fans this season.
However, there is still plenty of work to be done for the team to manage the current situation, as distasteful as it may be.
The latest batch of Lakers news involves some updates on contract situations—always of concern to a team constantly taking stock of its cap room—and a player who might be able to soothe the pain of a disastrous start to the 2014-15 season.
Lakers Apply for Disabled Player Exception, Reportedly In Contact With Earl Clark
The Lakes are in desperate need of bodies and are taking the necessary steps to add players. According to the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina, the team has applied for a disabled player exception and a hardship exception:
Xavier Henry will be out for the remainder of the season with an Achilles tendon injury. He joins the likes of Julius Randle and Steve Nash on the list of players who won't be suiting up for this campaign. Add Ryan Kelly and his hamstring injury to the mix, and it's easy to see why the Lakers could use a hardship exception to bring in someone ambulatory.
In fact, the Lakers might already have a player lined up should the league grant them the requisite exceptions. Forward Earl Clark—who spent the 2012-13 season in with the Lakes and posted career highs in points and rebounds per game—has reportedly been in contact with the team, per a report from Medina:
The Lakers have had 'talks' to sign forward Earl Clark t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
