Granted, four of those five have come against the downtrodden Eastern Conference, but that is neither here nor there as the Lakers continue to pick up the pieces around Kobe Bryant and eyeball the future.
The future is quite a long way away for a franchise not accustomed to rebuilding mode, though. A plan to get younger players experience has backfired thanks to a wealth of injuries, and there is little flexibility for the front office to actually improve the roster.
The result is a news cycle of "What Ifs" more than anything. With few resources to move, the Lakers are stuck in a holding pattern for the time being and must face the present with open arms.
Wayne Ellington and Roster Details
General manager Mitch Kupchak continues to find it difficult to just keep his team's head above water at this point.
He has injuries to thank for that. Steve Nash is gone, Key young pieces Julius Randle and Xavier Henry are out for the season and Ryan Kelly is on the shelf for the time being.
No young relief is on the way, either, thanks to moves of the past. The Lakers in spirit have no draft pick to deal. Carlos Boozer cannot be moved. Jeremy Lin can, but not with that contract. Nick Young and Ed Davis are locked in until December.
Hence the Lakers' finding it necessary to file for a disabled player exception. Hence the news cycle pertaining to Wayne Ellington. According to the Los Angeles Times' Eric Pincus, the 27-year-old pro just got a bit of a financial guarantee from the team:
"On Monday, his contract became guaranteed for $581,692, locking in almost 55% of his total salary."
The report also notes that Ronnie Price is well on his way to almost doubling his salary this year if he is on the roster by December 15. Given the above factors, that seem...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
