Report: Lakers will also shut down Luol Deng for remainder of season
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to admit that their offseason was one big L.
According to a report by Ramona Shelburne of ESPN on Wednesday, the Lakers will also make forward Luol Deng a healthy scratch for the remainder of the 2016-17 season to open up more playing time for their younger players.
Deng, who will turn 32 next month, was averaging 7.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on a career-low 38.6 percent from the field in 26.5 minutes per game this season. The Lakers gave him a four-year, $72 million deal this past summer, which was wildly imprudent for a number of different reasons.
The news come just one day after another overpaid Lakers veteran was reportedly shut down for the season as well. Shelburne also adds that both players were comfortable with the decision after meeting individually with head coach Luke Walton over the last few weeks.
Deng hadn’t played since February 26, and now that he’s out of the picture completely, the Lakers can funnel the minutes he’s leaving behind towards the development of 19-year-old rookie forward Brandon Ingram and (to a lesser extent) 24-year-old sophomore Larry Nance Jr.
