Lakers waive Vander Blue, clearing 2-way contract roster spot

The Los Angeles Lakers continue to tweak their roster, announcing they’ve waived Vander Blue. Blue was on the team through the newly-introduced two-way contract system, clearing a the way for the front office to target another developmental prospect. He played in five games for the parent Lakers squad.

This brings the roster down to 14 players on the official team, with Alex Caruso standing as the lone two-way player. The Lakers were linked to free agent Jamil Wilson, but his pending civil suit led the front office to end those discussions.

It was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN that general manager Rob Pelinka’s intention is to “aggressively” pursue outside shooting help for the team via the use of a 10-day contract after cutting Bogut. Waiving Blue creates another low-risk slot by allowing the Lakers to use the two-way, while giving them longer-term control.

The scouting department has already been busy combing through G-League options following the Bogut move. Identifying a candidate that they can use a two-way contract on, as opposed to a 10-day contract, has definite benefits.

Keeping one official roster spot open is ideal with less than a month until the trade deadline. Using the flexibility of the two-way contract system allows the Lakers to take an even small risk logistically and financially, while also letting them evaluate and get familiar with whomever they may (or may not) sign on the South Bay Lakers.