Ronnie Aguilar

Lakers Waive Ronnie Aguilar, Reeves Nelson

The Lakers have let go of Ronnie Aguilar and Reeves Nelson, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports (Twitter link). The subtraction of the pair, who were on non-guaranteed deals, brings the team down to 18 players.

The 7'1" Aguilar was reportedly mounting a dark horse run to make the team's opening-night roster after he was signed right before training camp. Still, he saw little action in the preseason, totaling just three points in 31 minutes of action over four games, and his dismissal is a further signal that Dwight Howard's ailing back will not be an issue to start the regular season. Nelson, at 6'8", was once seen as a potential first-round pick before his collegiate career at UCLA went sour. He wasn't selected in the draft this past June after the Bruins cut him loose six games into last season, but wound up with the Lakers in early September.

The Lakers have 13 players signed to fully guaranteed deals, and today's moves leave Robert SacreChris Douglas-RobertsAndrew Goudelock, Darius Johnson-Odom and Greg Somogyi, all of whom have non-guaranteed contracts, to fight for the final two open roster spots. 

Lakers Notes: Rumors, Aguilar, Finances, Gasol

There has been no shortage of buzz this offseason when it comes to the Lakers, and while their big pieces are in place, that doesn't mean they're done dealing.  We heard last week that Steve Blake and/or Chris Duhon may be available and then today from Mitch Kupchak that the team is not actively looking to move anyone.  As we all wait patiently to see how their roster shakes out, let's round up some other notes out of the Staples Center:

  • David Wharton of the L.A. Times profiles Lakers center Ronnie Aguilar, who is working hard in hopes of going from training camp longshot to backup center.  As of three weeks ago, Aguilar's efforts were not going unnoticed, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo reported that Aguilar was a "dark horse candidate" to make the Lakers roster.
  • Also from the L.A. Times, Mike Bresnahan writes that the Lakers have become an economic juggernaut.  Bresnahan says that the team makes up to $90MM in ticket sales per year, and is in the first year of new television deal that pays them $120MM this year.  While they owe $30MM in luxury tax and are projected to pay $49MM in revenue-sharing in 2013, the franchise seems to be in as good of financial shape as it's ever been.
  • Living in constant fear of being shipped out of Los Angeles this offseason, Pau Gasol had to temper his excitement for playing with Steve Nash, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News.  While swapping out Andrew Bynum for Dwight Howard shouldn't majorly affect Gasol's game, no one should benefit from the existence of Nash more than the mid-range capable Spaniard.

Lakers Sign Ronnie Aguilar

FRIDAY, 10:41pm:  According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter), Aguilar has a half-decent shot at making the roster considering Howard's back complications.

THURSDAY, 7:35pm:  According to RealGM, the Lakers have signed 7'1 center Ronnie Aguilar. The 25-year-old big man played collegiately for Colorado State from 2006-2008 and was a member of the Bakersfield Jam during the 2011-2012 season, averaging 2.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 11.2 MPG in six total games. 

The team now has 19 players on their roster for training camp, and as Chuck Myron pointed out in assessing the roster sizes of the Western Conference, the Lakers already have 15 players under contracts that are either guaranteed or partially guaranteed. Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles thinks that along with Reeves Nelson and Greg Somogyi, Aguilar is a long shot to make the team.