Lakers Free Agency Rumors: Ian Clark no longer ‘in the mix’ with Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers reached a one-year agreement with backup point guard Tyler Ennis Tuesday afternoon, filling a position of need. The front office may be looking at other needs now, and Ian Clark is no longer “in the mix” with Los Angeles “unless something changes,” reports Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times.

Clark met with the Lakers last week, taking in a meeting that reportedly lasted 45 minutes. He would have been an interesting fit, having played in the Golden State Warriors system for the last two seasons and coming off a career year. He wouldn’t exactly have been the ball-moving backup guard that would fit into the pass-heavy offense the Lakers are emphasizing, though.

It’s unclear where the Lakers’ might direct their attention next. They still have a room exception of $4.3 million, but have been focused on landing a backup guard with that chunk of salary. Derrick Rose signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers allowed the front office to pivot to their next option, and that wound up being Ennis.

Ennis fits that mold a bit more, and is a player the team is very comfortable with having played him extended minutes down the final stretch of the season. The Lakers still have to finalize signing Thomas Bryant to his rookie contract, leaving the roster sitting at 13 players as of now.

The Lakers also have a two-way contract they can offer, with Alex Caruso taking the first of two slots designated for hybrid development league deals. The front office has navigated a fairly clear path up until this point, aren’t linked to many more free agents that aren’t of the backup point guard variety, and could decide to hold the roster at 14 players once they sign Bryant.

The offseason is nearly complete for the Lakers, and finalizing a deal with Bryant may be the next task to check off the list.