Lakers waive retired Steve Nash, sign Jabari Brown to multi-year contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have officially parted ways with Steve Nash, waiving the veteran and recently-retired point guard, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. Nash announced his retirement on March 21, and the Lakers will move forward to utilize their cap elsewhere.

The tail of the news is Jabari Brown earning himself a contract through the remainder of the season that includes a non-guaranteed deal for the '15-16 season, reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The Lakers also hold a qualifying offer on Brown for the '16-17 season, giving them restricted free agent rights as well, reports Eric Pincus of the LA Times. Brown was playing on a string of 10-day contracts, averaging 9.4 points while shooting 45 percent from three-point range.

The Lakers are still without swingman Nick Young, opening an opportunity for Brown to play after putting up big numbers for their D-league affiliate, the D-Fenders. Jabari also has the unique "intangible" quality of being Jordan Clarkson's teammate at Mizzou, where the two built a strong friendship.

This is another young player the Lakers are looking to develop on a cheap contract, which is what they should be doing as they mine their prospects for NBA-level players. The non-guaranteed second-year gives the team flexibility heading into the summer.

Do you think Brown is a player the Lakers should invest in developing? Discuss in the comments!