Report: Darren Collison eyeing training camp invite from Lakers
Following Marc Gasol’s departure, the Los Angeles Lakers are back to having 13 guaranteed spots on the roster with two left to fill.
The Lakers plan to just use one of those roster spots, and a wing like James Ennis could be a possibility given his two-way ability and general lack of depth in that area.
L.A. could also seek out a center to replace the hole Gasol left, but there are options whichever route Los Angeles chooses, including point guard.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, former NBA point guard Darren Collison is hoping the Lakers invite him to training camp:
Those in the gym when Collison visited said he looked solid — in basketball playing shape and showing flashes of his former self in a pickup setting.
But nobody, in that brief of a glimpse, was comfortable predicting whether Collison would be anywhere near the player who averaged 11.2 points and 6.0 assists as a starting point guard on a Pacers team that made the 2019 playoffs. If he was, he’d be a slam dunk in that 15th spot. But if he is (or even if he isn’t), would he be willing to take a prove-it non-guaranteed camp invite? There’s also buzz he might be eyeing a Lakers camp invite.
As Slater wrote, Collison is far removed from averaging those numbers; he’s now 34 years old and hasn’t played in the league since 2018.
He was apparently seen scrimmaging with players already on the roster, and the Lakers reportedly had worked him out earlier this summer. However, that was before L.A. picked up Rajon Rondo as a buyout free agent.
But even if Collison received an invite, it’s difficult to envision him making the roster given all the ball-handling guards the Lakers have: Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn, Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk.
