The Los Angeles Lakers are guaranteeing the contracts of Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel for the rest of the season, league sources told ESPN, with both young players making strong impressions as holdovers from last year’s team.
The Lakers also signed Sterling Brown, a guard/forward out of the G League, to a 10-day contract.
L.A. is currently depleted in its wing depth with Lonnie Walker IV set to miss his fourth straight game Friday because of a bruised tailbone and tendinitis in his left knee, and Reaves (left hamstring strain) also ruled out of Friday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Lakers announced Friday that Reaves and Walker were both recently seen by Lakers medical personnel and it was determined they will both miss approximately the next two weeks before being reevaluated.
The Lakers, who have an open roster 15th roster spot, are expected to keep tabs on several free agents available around the league and could bring in players for workouts – like they did with Brown on Thursday, along with former Dallas Mavericks guard Tyler Dorsey — to get an in-person look, league sources told ESPN.