{"id":154233,"date":"2025-08-11T10:40:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T14:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=154233"},"modified":"2025-08-11T10:40:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T14:40:51","slug":"lakers-have-no-brainer-6-foot-11-solution-for-last-two-way-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/08\/11\/lakers-have-no-brainer-6-foot-11-solution-for-last-two-way-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Have No-Brainer 6-Foot-11 Solution For Last Two-Way Spot"},"content":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES<\/strong> \u2013 The Lakers<\/a> have a clear path to add depth in the frontcourt. They can sign Kai Jones<\/a> on a training camp deal or two-way contract. If Jones signs with an European team, Los Angeles would need him released before making an offer. Jones\u2019s status remains fluid.
\nWhile some reports linked<\/a> him to Virtus Bologna, credible sources insist those claims are false. According<\/a> to reliable insider account Aryreport on X, Jones is focused on staying in the NBA. His camp prefers either a standard deal or a training camp invite with a chance to earn a roster spot.<\/p>\n

Lakers Have No-Brainer Kai Jones Solution For Last Two-Way Spot<\/h2>\n

Roster Math Works in His Favor<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Kai
Apr 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Kai Jones (23) dunks the ball during the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

NBA rules allow teams to bring 21 players into training camp. That number includes Exhibit-10 contracts, which can convert to G League deals with bonuses. Two-way contracts offer another route, allowing up to 50 NBA games in a season.<\/p>\n

The Lakers have two of three two-way spots filled. Christian Koloko<\/a> and Trey Jemison <\/a>occupy them but barely played under coach JJ Redick last season. That leaves one open slot and flexibility for a training camp addition.<\/p>\n

If the Lakers want Kai Jones on a two-way, the opening is there. If they prefer an Exhibit-10 deal, roster limits are no obstacle. Either way, the move makes basketball and cap sense.<\/p>\n

Why Jones Fits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Los Angeles added Deandre Ayton<\/a> in free agency. But Ayton prefers mid-post touches over rim-running. The Lakers need an athletic, rim-protecting big to complement Luka Doncic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Jones showed flashes with the Mavericks<\/a> and Clippers<\/a> last season. In 40 games, he averaged 5.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in under 12 minutes. His March surge \u2014 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds on 84% shooting \u2014 revealed his efficiency.<\/p>\n

Defensively, lineups with Jones allowed eight fewer points per possession. That placed him in the 95th<\/a> percentile for impact. The Lakers need that level of rim deterrence.<\/p>\n

Proven in Short Bursts<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Jones\u2019s Mavericks stint included double-doubles and highlight blocks. He scored 21 points with eight rebounds in his debut. He followed an injury absence with an 18-point, 11-rebound game.<\/p>\n

Given his athleticism and defensive metrics, Kai Jones on the Lakers should be a no-brainer. For a team needing frontcourt insurance, the fit is almost too obvious.<\/p>\n

If Los Angeles wants a low-risk, high-upside move, this is the time. The Lakers have the slot, the need, and the leverage to make it happen.
\nThe rest depends on whether Jones remains stateside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOS ANGELES \u2013 The Lakers have a clear path to add depth in the frontcourt. They can sign Kai Jones on a training camp deal or two-way contract. If Jones signs with an European team, Los Angeles would need him released before making an offer. Jones\u2019s status remains fluid. While some reports linked him to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5018,"featured_media":154235,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[62,1608,26,3],"tags":[49738,4278,4975,4557,49503,50063],"class_list":["post-154233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-news","tag-exhibit-10-deal","tag-kai-jones","tag-nba-contracts","tag-nba-offseason","tag-nba-training-camp","tag-two-way-contract"],"modified_by":"Frederick Okocha","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5018"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=154233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154237,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154233\/revisions\/154237"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/154235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=154233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=154233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=154233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}