SACRAMENTO—That Jordan Clarkson, the part-Filipino rookie the Los Angeles Lakers selected in the 2014 NBA draft remains unsigned, is nothing to fret over, says the team’s long-time spokesman.
John Black told me it is not “uncommon for second-round draft choices (like Clarkson) to not be signed until late in the summer or even after training camp has begun.”
“So please do not think there is anything abnormal about the fact that we have not signed Jordan yet,” Black said to assure fans that Clarkson is expected to become player number 13 in the Lakers’ roster at a salary starting at the rookie minimum of $507,336.
The Lakers already have 12 players under contract, led by super nova Kobe Bryant, who will play for $23.5 million in the coming season. Like any other NBA team, the Lakers can add up to 20 players for training camp but the regular season roster limit is 15.
Two additional signings at the minimum salary will keep the team inside the luxury tax threshold for the first time in years.
The 22-year-old Clarkson, whose mom Annette is from the Philippines, showed flair during the NBA Summer League games with the Lakers in Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-5 guard turned heads, averaging 15.8 points per game. The junior out of the University of Missouri led the team in rebounding throughout the two weeks of play.
The quality of play in the Vegas summer games is usually taken with a grain of salt. But newly minted coach Byron Scott fancies Clarkson’s performance just the same.
“I like what I saw of Jordan Clarkson,” Scott wrote as he took over the team’s Twitter account to give his thoughts on the team’s roster. “[I] think he’s got great potential. I look at him now as just a guard, not a 1 or a 2.”
Scott’s reservoir of high hopes for a combo guard like Clarkson is understandable. As a player, a shooting guard in his time, the coach contributed to the Lakers’ three NBA titles during their so-called Showtime days.
Scott has the unenviable task of improving the Lakers’ record of 27 wins and 55 losses—the worst in the Western Conference last season.
He said Clarkson has a lot of great potential, but has to come up and work his way into the rotation. As of now, Jordan has big odds to beat, since he is up against newly acquired Jeremy Lin and veteran Steve Nash at the point.
Nash, who has been hobbled by injury, is no longer his usual flashy self, leaving room for the Pinoy pride to back up Lin.