Andrew Bogut had a limited role for a struggling Lakers team: A backup big man against teams who use a traditional center. He has been in and out of the lineup — he last played on Jan. 1 — and the last time he played more than 15 minutes in a game was Christmas Day.
In a deal that works for both sides, the Lakers have waived the veteran center.
Shams Charania of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports broke the news and explains the deal.The move allows the sides to part ways with the Lakers (11-27) out of postseason contention and gives Bogut — a former NBA champion — an opportunity to sign with a playoff team. The Lakers faced a deadline this weekend on the guarantee date for Bogut’s one-year partially guaranteed contract.
Walton had recently talked about how Bogut was his best communicator on defense, and how he was a good mentor to younger players in the locker room. On those fronts, he will be missed.
Bogut will try to land on a playoff team looking for some rim protection and a big who can pass — he did start on the 2015 champion Warriors squad but the game has evolved as Bogut’s skills have faded (he missed the playoffs last season in Cleveland with a fractured leg). There will be interest in him, but his role on any true contender will be limited.
The Lakers will look to add shooting, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
With roster spot opened, Lakers plan to be aggressive in finding some shooting on a 10-day contract among available pool of players, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 6, 2018
