If the Lakers waive Nick Young, they have potential replacements lined up.
The Lakers have 14 players – one shy of the regular-season roster limit – plus Yi Jianlian, who’s very likely to last past the preseason. But dropping Young would create a vacancy.
Zach Auguste and Travis Wear are ready to vie for it.
So is undrafted USC guard Julian Jacobs.
The 6-foot-4 Jacobs has excellent hops, and he scores at the rim and rebounds well for his position as a result. But his shaky jumper is a major negative.
Jacobs enters this potential competition firmly behind Auguste and Wear.
It doesn’t help that a team with D’Angelo Russell, Jose Calderon, Marcelo Huertas, Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams probably doesn’t need another point guard.
Most likely, the Lakers waive Jacobs and assign his D-League rights to their affiliate. But, if he’s in camp, he’ll at least have a chance to buck the odds and stay into the regular season.