Los Angeles Lakers: Immediate impact of releasing Andrew Bogut and signing Jamil Wilson
With the Los Angeles Lakers plummeting to the bottom of the Western Conference standing, veteran big man Andrew Bogut was released on Jan. 6. His roster space was filled by Jamil Wilson on a 10-day contract.
The Los Angeles Lakers released 13-year veteran center Andrew Bogut on Jan. 6. The timing of the move ensures the Lakers will not have to pay Bogut’s partially-guaranteed contract, which had a deadline this weekend.
Bogut signed a one-year deal this offseason after spending time with the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers last season, and averaged 1.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, appearing in 24 total contest on the season.
This move benefits both Bogut and the Lakers. Bogut, the starting center on the 2015 NBA champion Golden State Warriors, will get to join a playoff team that could use a big with his defense and passing ability off the bench with hopes of one more deep postseason run.
While the Lakers will miss his leadership and mentorship of that role, they get a chance to see how much Ivica Zubac has progressed since last season, and whether Thomas Bryant is a legit floor-spacing rim running big when the team isn’t playing small.
Bogut’s roster spot will now be filled by wing Jamil Wilson, who signed a 10-day contract with the Lakers on Jan. 8. Wilson is a 27-year-old rookie that got his first chance this season with the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-way contract before being released on Jan. 5.
Wilson has taken the long road to make an NBA roster. He went undrafted in the 2014 NBA Draft, and spent two seasons with the Bakersfield Jam and Texas Legends of the previously named NBA Developmental League. He’s spent the past two seasons playing professionally in Puerto Rico and Italy.
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Wilson got a chance to make an immediate impact with the Clippers when their frontcourt had multiple people injured, giving Wilson the opportunity to start 10 games this season. Appearing in 15 contests overall, Wilson averaged 7.0 points per game, knocking down 42.9 percent of his 3-point shots.
Combine his shooting from deep with his 6’7″ frame and the Lakers found a short-term fix for their problems on the wing. The Lakers only have Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Corey Brewer who have the size and speed to handle wings, opting for three-guard sets often.
Having another wing who can seamlessly go between the 3 or 4 along with Ingram and Kuzma (Brewer doesn’t get too much playing time) gives the team more space offensively to operate.
Wilson doesn’t need touches, nor does he offer much off the dribble. But if he can continue knocking down 42.9 percent of his 4.2 long range attempts per game, he should carve out consistent playing time in the NBA, hopefully for the Lakers.
He also helps the Lakers with their defensive versatility, giving them a wing who has experience guarding big men in the post. Wilson was an undersized 4 at Marquette University, spending most of his time battling in the paint. This makes him serviceable if switched onto a big man and opponents opt to throw it in the post.
And don’t worry about Wilson’s low average of 2.1 rebounds per game. He played next to DeAndre Jordan, who is one of the best rebounders in the NBA and takes pride in grabbing every board, and the Lakers are one of the top rebounding teams in the league.
If Wilson plays well, the Lakers will surely offer him a contract for the rest of the season. And if these signs continue throughout the season, hopefully the Lakers won’t let him walk cheaply like they did last season with David Nwaba, who is balling out for the Chicago Bulls now.
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Overall, the releasing of Andrew Bogut and signing of Jamil Wilson is the Los Angeles Lakers replaces a big man (their overcrowded position) with a wing/forward (the team’s biggest need since preseason) to give the team more options and roster balance.