The Los Angeles Lakers began trimming their roster ahead of a loss to the Utah Jazz. On Monday, the Lakers waived V.J. Beachem and Stephen Zimmerman. The two saw limited action during their stint with the team in this year's preseason. This according to a report by NBA.com.
Beachem and Zimmerman just played one preseason game for Los Angeles. They appeared in last Wednesday's 122-104 defeat to the Denver Nuggets and registered two points each for the Lakers.
Beachem went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft. Before heading to Los Angeles, the Notre Dame product played for the Summer League squad of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Zimmerman, on the other hand, has NBA experience. The Orlando Magic selected the 21-year-old with the 41st overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. He played a few games for Orlando in the 2016-17 season. The ex-UNLV standout also spent time with the Magic's G League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks. In July, Zimmerman got released, and he signed with the Lakers in August. The Lakers only have 18 players following the departures of Beachem and Zimmerman.
Lakers falter again
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their fourth loss this preseason on Tuesday. Los Angeles failed to defend home court and fell to the Utah Jazz, 105-99. Leading the way for the Lakers were Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Clarkson who both came off the bench to score 18 points.
Helping them on offense were Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle who each had 13 points.
Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Ricky Rubio starred for the Jazz versus the Lakers. Gobert provided a double-double performance with 29 points and 13 boards. Mitchell added 26, while Rubio tallied 22 points. Derrick Favors and Joe Johnson contributed 10 points apiece.
Coming next
What is next for the Los Angeles Lakers is a showdown with one of their rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. The purple and gold franchise currently holds a 1-4 record. It is hoping to get one more victory before the new season starts. The Lakers will begin their 2017-18 regular season on the October 19. Meanwhile, the Utah Jazz completed their preseason run with the win against the Lakers.
From the looks of it, they are doing fine even without former franchise star Gordon Hayward, who left as a free agent and joined the Boston Celtics during the offseason.
The Jazz's triumph over the Lakers gave them an unblemished record in the preseason. Now, they are gearing up for their regular season opener on October 18.
