Rarely does the first-round of NBA roster cuts in training camp elicit anything more than a collective shrug. Sure, it concerns the affected players amid their dream for a prolific NBA career. It can also become difficult for coaches and general managers both to shrink the roster and deliver the news. But among the general public? Not so much.
But the Lakers offered some surprise by waiving Robert Upshaw while keeping fourth-year veteran Robert Sacre as the team’s third center. The 7-foot-2, 264-pound Upshaw seemed intriguing with his shot blocking ability and long-term potential. But the Lakers opted for Sacre, who is seen as dependable on defense and a positive locker room presence. The Lakers will start Roy Hibbert at center, and likely play Tarik Black behind him.
“His upside is big time,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said of Upshaw. “But sometimes experience and wanting to make sure the roster is balanced outweighs that. If we get our wish list, he passes through the 48 hours and we can claim him and bring it him back to the D-League.”
Scott expressed the same thing about undrafted guard Michael Frazier, who was not expected to stay amid a loaded Lakers backcourt in Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and Marcelo Huertas. But what if another NBA team signs Upshaw right away for the same reasons the Lakers signed him to the summer-league and training camp roster?
“You live with it,” Scott said. “You won’t kick yourself. It’s a decision that’s made. If it happens to be the wrong decision two or three years down the line, you live with it.”
But Scott maintained he is not thinking that far ahead. Instead, he is thinking about the 2015-16 season.
Upshaw averaged 2.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.75 blocks in 14.1 minutes through four exhibitions. In those games, Upshaw looked raw both offensively and defensively.
“We saw that at times and flashes of him being able to defend and do some of the things that we wanted him to do,” Scott said of Upshaw. “But a lot of it was a big time learning curve on both ends of the floor.”
Fresno State (2012-13) and the University of Washington (2014-15) dismissed Upshaw amid unspecified violations of team rules, causing the projected first-round pick to go undrafted. Upshaw also reported to summer league out of shape, before Scott noted he dropped from 290 pounds to 265 pounds entering training camp.
“He’s going to have that stigma with him for a while until he can erase it. That’s probably going to be one of the biggest problems to deal with,” Scott said. “But if you look at the summer compared to now, he’s 100 percent better. If he can keep going in that upward spiral, hell be all right.”
It also did not help that Upshaw had a non-guaranteed deal, while Sacre has a guaranteed contract at just under $1 million. Yet, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has said that factor would not influence his decision making.
The Lakers still need to trim their roster at least to 15 by the season opener on Oct. 28. Forward Jonathan Holmes has a dicey future after suffering a right shoulder injury in Monday’s game against Portland, an injury that will keep him sidelined for at least a few weeks. It could come down to either forward Metta World Peace or guard Jabari Brown. The 35-year-old World Peace is older and less athletic than the 22-year-old Brown. But World Peace could be needed to have a veteran presence, particularly for second-year forward Julius Randle.
“As long as you get the players to understand you’re tryyng to do everything in their best interest, it’s not that difficult,” Scott said. “But players are players. They want to play and the want to compete.”
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