super small forward

Chapter 268 268. New Teammates

The summer league is underway, but the Lakers can't even find enough players to play in the summer league at the beginning. There is no way that the Lakers already have fifteen players, and the lineup is full!

In addition to Kaman, who left the team, Wesley Johnson and Farmar, who jumped out of the contract and did not get a renewal, left the team. Marshall, who was given up by the Lakers as a team option, already had 12 players. Jeremy Lin was traded in the draft. , LaVine was selected in the first round, Clarkson was selected in the second round, and the 15-man roster is complete!

Why do free agents participate in the summer league? Isn't it to join the NBA? The Lakers are already full, so naturally there will be no free agents.

This is the same as last season's training camp. Kupchak couldn't even gather ten people from outside the team to play in the match.

Fortunately, the summer league does not require players to sign a formal contract to participate, only to sign a summer league contract, and other teams can sign from another team's summer league team, the Lakers barely recruited 7 people play ball.

But this is still not enough!

There is no choice but to send NBA players to play. Kupchak sent LaVine and Clarkson, who were drafted this year, Henry, who needs to find his way back from injury, and second-year Antetokounmpo and McCollum. In the summer league, the 12-man roster was assembled.

Kupchak originally wanted Thackeray to play more, but Thackeray went to the Canadian national team's training camp to prepare for the World Cup.

Now that the summer league is over, Kupchak sees that there is a short center named Tariq Black in his team who is very energetic and physically fit. He is very suitable to stay and play as a substitute, but the lineup is full. He could only regret giving up and recommended it to Rockets general manager Morey who helped the Lakers get LaVine this time.

Kupchak can already see that the training camp in October has turned into an in-team practice again. As a player who has fallen in love with discovering hidden talents, he feels quite uncomfortable!Why did you run out of places for the team!
After browsing the list of players, Kupchak fixed his eyes on the name of the second-round pick Jordan Clarkson. He was inexplicably unhappy with this rookie, and other players got it. Henry and Nick Young were recruited by him last season. Yes, Thackeray is also his favorite big center. Green, Whiteside, McCollum, and Antetokounmpo are all talented young people. Kobe, Gasol, and Nash are the pillars of the team. Jeremy Lin is Half-selling, half-giving gifts, and the strength is not bad, even LaVine and Bazemore are the younger brothers handpicked by Liu Ren, what is this Clarkson?
Kupchak was very happy after choosing LaVine. From the aura shown by LaVine in the trial training, Kupchak seemed to see another Kobe, although it was far from the strength Kobe showed when he was 17 years old. But this kind of talent does not mean that you have it!

Kupchak used his position as a guarantee when discussing this matter with the management. LaVine is definitely the most talented central defender in this draft!

Clarkson was recommended by the team's scouts from the secondary league of the college league. After getting LaVine, Kupchak randomly chose a name from the scout report, which happened to be Clarkson, so Clarkson was picked by the Lakers in the second round. The round is selected.

From the physical test results, Clarkson's physical fitness is still good, and his jumping is a bit poor, but his explosive power is barely at the first-class level, his speed is first-class, his impact is strong, his shooting ability is poor, his confrontation is poor, and his defense is poor.

Kupchak now regrets why he chose so hastily at the time. At that time, he just wanted to strengthen the guard again.

But if he gave up the right to sign, he felt it was a waste, and Clarkson must have something to be appreciated by the scouts. Tan's vision is more important, so he plans to sign Clarkson with a two-year rookie basic salary. Of course, the second year is not guaranteed.

Although he chose it by himself and was about to sign it, Kupchak still felt uncomfortable!
Suddenly, Kupchak thought of something, and with a smirk on his old face, he took out his mobile phone and dialed Liu Ren's number.

"Liu, didn't you keep saying that you lacked an opponent for training? I have someone here..."

……

Liu Ren looked at the two brats in front of him, yes, they were brats, although Liu Ren was not necessarily older than them, especially one of them was very old, but as an "old senior" who had played in the NBA for three years , he could call them imps.

One of the spirited little ghosts was looking around at Liu Ren's training hall, exclaiming in amazement, as if envious of the fact that Superstar's family was different, and actually built a training room directly in the garden of their home.

This guy is LaVine, who is quite familiar with Liu Ren. After the NCAA league in the second half of the regular season, he often goes to the Toyota Center to hang out.

Although the Lakers management can't get in touch with LaVine, they are here to "sightsee" and "try" whether the basket in the Lakers training hall is easy to use, and the Lakers absolutely did not have the choice at the time, and it was almost locked in the top eight. For the talented picks, the league didn't say anything.

So after going back and forth, LaVine and the Lakers players became familiar, especially Liu Ren, who brought him to the Toyota Center for a visit, had a good relationship with him.

LaVine's talent Liu Ren has long known, so leave him alone.

What Liu Ren is more curious about is the very nervous young man in front of him, Jordan Clarkson!

Seeing Clarkson, Liu Ren remembered this offensive point guard who has always been underestimated. Unexpectedly, this guy was still selected by the Lakers. He was destined to become a Lakers player!
If Liu Ren originally remembered who the Lakers gave him the deepest memory in the last two years, of course it was Kobe. Kobe’s "tour" in the last year was simply amazing. Even the Warriors, who are about to win 73 wins, have become supporting roles.

However, it was not Kobe who supported the Lakers in those two years. To be honest, Kobe could be called a hindrance in those two years. His hasty comeback and successive injuries wiped out [-]% to [-]% of his remaining strength. It's bad!

But the Lakers have a guy who has been neglected and just climbed out from the end of the bench. First, in the 14-15 season, Jeremy Lin took the starting position, and then in the 15-16 season, he overwhelmed the Lakers. Light, almost won the best sixth man.

This person is Jordan Clarkson who is so nervous in front of him!

Liu Ren can be said to admire and be curious about Clarkson. How did this guy stand out from the "purgatory" environment of the Lakers in those two years?

Really curious!
(End of this chapter)