Lakers officially sign Robert Upshaw to D-Fenders, Jabari Brown going overseas

The Los Angeles Lakers are buttoning up their pact with big man prospect Robert Upshaw, and the undrafted center was in El Segundo to sign his deal with the D-Fenders, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Upshaw was one of the first cuts off of the Lakers' training camp roster, but the team was expected to continue building their relationship with the former Washington Husky through their D-League affiliate.

Upshaw showed his upside during his stretch with the franchise that goes back to Las Vegas Summer League, but he's also shown how raw a prospect he still is. The Lakers are trying to balance a roster that's already filling with inexperienced players, making Robert an additional development project that could use more focused effort with the D-Fenders.

In other cut-player news, Jabari Brown's decision to play overseas instead of the D-League seems to be finalized, according to Bresnahan. Brown was one of the final cuts as the Lakers parsed their roster down to 15 players.

The D-Fenders begin training camp on Thursday, and Upshaw's inclusion alone makes it something worth keeping tabs on.