Lakers Cut Ties With Veteran Guard Amid Roster Shakeup

Getty Images Dwayne Bacon of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived veteran guard Dwayne Bacon and Javante McCoy as they continue to tinker with the back end of their roster.

Bacon and McCoy were added to the roster prior to training camp. McCoy had an Exhibit 10 clause in his contract so has some extra incentive to stick around with the South Bay Lakers. He didn’t see any time in the preseason with the Lakers in three games.

Bacon has 80 starts to his name, averaging 7.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in his NBA career. He spent last season playing overseas with AS Monaco Basket, averaging 13.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 40 games played. Bacon also saw an uptick in his 3-point shooting, hitting at a 36.7% clip.

Bacon got some run in the preseason, averaging 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 17.4 minutes per game. Bacon said that playing overseas was healthy for his game last season and there’s a chance he ends up there again.

“My first two years [in the NBA], I dealt with depression,” Bacon said on “The Role Player Podcast” this summer. “Not playing, in my head like, ‘Am I good enough?’ Coming [overseas] and being a factor, one of the main guys — that made me feel so good.

“I definitely could have stayed in the league and sat there, but I came over here and opened up my whole talent like this was actually my first time I got a chance to really open up my game since college.”

Lakers Announce Signings of LJ Figueroa, Shaquille Harrison

The Lakers quickly filled the vacant spots on their training camp roster, signing LJ Figueroa and Shaquille Harrison.

Figueroa is a 6-foot-6, 200-pound forward who appeared in 32 NBA G League games with the Santa Cruz Warriors during the 2021-22 season, averaging 16.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.6 minutes per game.

Prior to entering the G League, Figueroa played in the Dominican Republic for Leones de Santo Domingo. He was previously undrafted in 2021.

Harrison comes with some solid NBA experience, having appeared in 175 career NBA games — 23 starts — across five seasons. He’s well-traveled, having played for Brooklyn, Denver, Utah, Chicago and Phoenix in his career. He has averaged 5.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 15.2 minutes per game.

He played two games for the Nets last season, averaging 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11.3 minutes.

Both Harrison and Figueroa will have to work expeditiously to make an impact. The Lakers have three preseason games left before opening the season on October 18 against the Warriors.

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Lakers After Visa Issues

There will be another new face in purple and gold this week, albeit one that’s been on the roster for some time in guard Dennis Schroder. He’s been dealing with visa issues but was scheduled to join the Lakers over the weekend after missing the first week and a half of camp, per ESPN.

Schroder signed a minimum deal with the Lakers but is expected to have a solid role in the rotation and could even find himself as a starter with a strong preseason. He appeared in 64 games — 29 starts — for the Celtics and Rockets last season, averaging 13.5 points on 34.4% shooting with 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 28.7 minutes.

Schroder is hoping this time around goes better than his first with the Lakers. Schroder started 61 games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season, averaging 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 61 games.