Lakers cut Chaundee Brown, sign Mason Jones to two-way contract

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived Chaundee Brown Jr. to make room for Mason Jones, the latter of whom agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Lakers on Monday. It’s unclear if Brown plans to finish the season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic broke the news:

Brown had hinted that he would be the eventual cut earlier in the day on Twitter, and is (understandably) disappointed:

Brown only appeared in two games for the Lakers, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to make an impression in the limited time that he got. Not only did he shoot a poor percentage from the field (14.3%), but a lot of his misses were a result of him forcing things on offense. He may be ready to play in the NBA sooner rather than later, but unfortunately, he wasn’t ready when his number was called this past week.

With Jones stepping in for Brown, the Lakers’ roster stands at 19 players, however, only 13 of them will be available when Los Angeles takes on the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. If another player is ruled out or enters health and safety protocols, the Lakers will be required to sign a player to meet the NBA’s roster minimum requirement. LeBron James and Trevor Ariza are both listed as probable for Tuesday.

It’s possible that Jones will get some run in the coming days, but now that Talen Horton-Tucker is out of health and safety protocols, his presence on the bench will likely be viewed as more of a luxury than a necessity. The Lakers also still have Isaiah Thomas on a 10-day contract.

The Lakers and Suns will tip-off at 7 p.m. PT on Tuesday. This developing story may be updated with more information.

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