Lakers without Huertas due to immigration holdup
The Los Angeles Lakers are temporarily short on guards.
D'Angelo Russell is slowed by a booty bruise and questionable for Thursday's preseason game in Toronto, and the Lakers have ruled out Marcelo Huertas. With the team returning from training camp in Hawaii, Huertas remains in Vancouver finalizing immigration paperwork and won't rejoin the team until Friday.
If Russell can't go, Jordan Clarkson would be the lone natural point guard available for the exhibition, with Lou Williams likely being asked to fill in as the backup. The Lakers should be fine for point guard depth when the season opens, as Russell and Clarkson both figure to have large roles, but the suddenly thin backcourt is good evidence that Huertas should lock up a roster spot.
The Lakers only have 12 guaranteed contracts, with seven players fighting for the final three roster spots. Huertas, who was signed to a non-guaranteed one-year deal this summer, is the primary candidate to lock up the third-string point guard spot.
An international standout in the Spanish ACB league and with the Brazilian national team, Huertas averaged 7.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while knocking down 35.5 percent of his 3-point attempts a season ago. Over the last four seasons, the crafty 6-foot-3 floor general has canned 36.6 percent of his outside looks.
Huertas is yet to appear in preseason action for the Lakers.