NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers Rumors Plan Sign 1 To 3 More Players Before Training Camp

The Los Angeles Lakers currently have 17 players under contract, but the team will likely add at least one more player before training camp begins.

Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Lakers will add one to three more players to their training camp roster. NBA teams are allowed to carry up to 20 players, but must get down to 15 prior to the first game of the season.

The Lakers plan on signinng one to three more players before training camp opens in Hawaii Sept. 29. They have 17 players signed now.

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) September 9, 2015

So, the question becomes: who will the Lakers add?

The name that has been popping up lately is Metta World Peace. The Inquisitr has reported that World Peace has been working out at the Lakers practice facility and, according to Yahoo Sports’Adrian Wojnarowski, the team and the former NBA Defensive Player of the Year is inching closer to an one-year agreement.

The 6-foot-7 forward last played in the NBA during the 2013-14 season with the New York Knicks. He spent last season in China, where he appeared in 15 games before finishing the season in Italy. World Peace averaged 13.3 points, as well as 4.0 caroms, in eight games with Pallacanestro Cantu of Lega Basketball.

World Peace has a history with the Lakers — playing in 240 games for the team in four seasons — and a strong supporter in general manager Mitch Kupchak, though he told USA Today‘s Sam Amick (September 11) it is still up in the air whether the team will sign the 35-year old.

“I love the guy. I really do. Last year, he was in Europe, he was in China. (Then) he coached his daughter’s middle school or high school team to a championship. He was here to work out when he got back from Europe playing, and then he’d come in through the summer. He’s been coming in on a regular basis. I do know that he wants to play, and that’s where we are.

We’ve got a couple more weeks (until training camp). Our roster’s not complete. And we’ll just take it from there. Nothing’s imminent in terms of a signing anytime soon, but it’s hard not to watch a guy when he’s in your gym every day going up and down the court, working with young guys, playing hard. Part of me says he can still play, so I don’t know where we’re going to end up on it. But that’s kind of where it is.”

A couple of other possibilities for the Lakers could include Renaldo Woolridge and Robert Upshaw. According to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, Woolridge also has been working out at the Lakers practice facility.

BTW Renaldo Wooldridge was working out with the Lakers today at the facility – has played with the franchise's Vegas summer squad

— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) September 11, 2015

Woolridge, the son of former Laker Orlando Woolridge, played with the Lakers’ summer league teams in 2013 and 2014. The 6-foot-9 small forward spent time playing in Serbia and the D-League with the Grand Rapids Drive. He produced one double-double and averaged 2.8 points, along with 3.5 rebounds, while appearing in 38 games with the Drive.

Upshaw is very talented but he has had a bunch of personal issues, which is the reason he went undrafted out of Washington. While the Lakers reportedly want to bring in the 7-footer to camp his status remains unclear.

Upshaw appeared in five games for Los Angeles’ summer league squad but he saw limited court time. He averaged 1.4 points, along with 2.2 boards, in 11.4 minutes of action. He also was whistled for 3.0 fouls a contest.

In other news:
Kupchack said that Kobe Bryant should be ready to go when training camp commences. The 37-year old is recovering from rotator cuff surgery.

The Lakers also recently made their required tender of a one-year, non-guaranteed, minimum salary offer to Ater Majok. The tender allows the team to maintain the rights to the former 2011 second round choice.

[Photo by Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images]