The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly waived guard Bryce Hamilton ahead of training camp.
ROSTER UPDATE: The Los Angeles Lakers requested waivers on guard Bryce Hamilton.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 18, 2023
Hamilton spent the 2022-23 season with the South Bay Lakers in the G League, appearing in 29 games during the regular season.
A four-year player at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Hamilton went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft. However, he played well with the South Bay Lakers, averaging 14.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28.2 minutes per game in the 2022-23 season.
Hamilton shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc in the G League, and that skill could make him a potential pickup for another team in the NBA ahead of training camps.
During his time at UNLV, Hamilton appeared in 119 games and made 69 starts in four seasons. He averaged 21.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in his senior season, shooting 34.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Hamilton averaged at least 16 points per game in each of his final three seasons in college.
Unfortunately for the young guard, the Lakers are loaded at the guard and wing positions this season, so he was likely facing an uphill battle to make the roster anyway.
Los Angeles brought back Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell in free agency this offseason, and then they added guard Gabe Vincent in free agency to replace the loss of veteran Dennis Schroder, who signed with the Toronto Raptors in the offseason.
The Lakers also used their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
In free agency, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka also beefed up the team’s wing depth, adding Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince to the roster. The Lakers also brought back Rui Hachimura, giving them another forward to play alongside or behind LeBron James.
With all of those players competing for minutes, Hamilton was in a tough spot – especially since the Lakers used draft capital on Hood-Schifino, who plays Hamilton’s position.
It makes more sense for the Lakers to give the first-round pick a shot than it would for the team to bring Hamilton onto an already crowded roster.
For now, the former UNLV product will look to latch on to another NBA or G League roster for the 2023-24 season.
