The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t rushed any decision throughout the entirety of the offseason, with the front office duo of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka analyzing every option. With this methodical approach, the Lakers have steadily added to the 15-man roster in anticipation of training camp.
After the acquisitions of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brook Lopez, the Lakers solidified 13 spots on the roster. Los Angeles then locked down the 14th spot when they signed Tyler Ennis to a two-year minimum deal in order to hold down the back up point guard duties.
Ennis was acquired mid-season during the 2016-17 campaign, involved in the second trade that season with the Houston Rockets. The second-year guard excelled in spurts with the franchise and believes that the Lakers were the perfect fit for his skill set, via Mark Medina of the OC Register:
“It feels good to return to the team where I felt the most comfortable,” Ennis said in a phone interview with Southern California News Group. “I have a really good relationship with the coaching staff and the rest of the players. For me, it was a perfect fit. It took longer than expected. But it ended up working out for the best for both me and the Lakers.”
Ennis definitely showed signs of progress in Luke Walton’s up-tempo offense, creating off the pick-and-roll. The 22-year-old analyzes passing lanes and is capable of finding his open teammates, while also not being afraid of taking his own shot should the defense allow him to.
The Lakers stated they were leaning towards re-signing Ennis is late June, but also considered other options like Ian Clark, Rajon Rondo and George Hill. A product of Syracuse and Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, Ennis has displayed a high basketball IQ on the court and can certainly hold down the back up point guard duties.
In 22 games with the Lakers last season, he averaged a career-high 7.7 points, 2.4 assists and 0.9 steals in 17.8 minutes per game. He shot 45.1 percent from the field, while also shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc. With Ennis capturing the 14th spot on the roster, it’ll be interesting to see the camp invites and possible targets that the Lakers have in mind for the potential final spot on the roster.