As the Los Angeles Lakers finalize its 2016-17 roster, three players, including Chinese recruit Yi Jianlian, are still up in the air for inclusion.
According to Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet, the team will have a 15-man roster, and will only have room for one more player.
Yi, who is coming back to the NBA after five seasons in China, is fighting for that last spot. Yi caught the Lakers’ eyes during a stellar performance at the Rio Olympic games, and was signed by the team for a contract that could earn him up to $8 million.
Flash-forward to today, and things are looking unclear for the 7-foot-tall Chinese superstar, as well as for players Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson.
As of now, 14 players have a guaranteed spot on the team: D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, Brandon Ingram, Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Nick Young, Lou Williams, Ivica Zubac, Anthony Brown, Jose Calderon, Marcelo Huertas, Larry Nance Jr. and Tarik Black.
The Lakers have until Oct. 24 to make their decision.
