The Los Angeles Lakers roster is more or less finalized with guaranteed deals, but there is still plenty of room for young players to make a mark in training camp.
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With that, the Lakers have signed point guard Keith Appling to a non-guaranteed deal according to Real GM’s Shams Charania:
Keith Appling of Michigan State has reached agreement on a non-guaranteed camp deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources tell RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 4, 2014
The move makes sense on a number of levels as the Lakers are relatively thin at the point guard position.
Jeremy Lin is expected to play a significant role on the team, but no one knows what to expect from Steve Nash. After Nash, next in line would be second-round pick Jordan Clarkson who besides being a rookie is not really a pure point guard.
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Appling was one of the key players for a Michigan State team that went to the Elite Eight last season. His numbers aren’t flashy as he was counted on to be more of a facilitator with guys like first-round picks Gary Harris and Adreian Payne counted on for scoring.
This is simply a no-risk move by the Lakers as they bring in a solid young player to camp to see what he is capable of, and if it doesn’t work out they can let him go with no issues.
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