Robert Upshaw dropped 20 pounds between summer league, Lakers signing

Being held to seven points over 57 summer league minutes may have been the push Robert Upshaw needed. That, or he grew tired of the conversations about his off-court issues.

Whatever the primary motivation, Upshaw has spent the last two months transforming his body, dropping 20 pounds since the July tournament.

"In Summer League I didn't feel like myself, and I just didn't feel as fluid as I usually feel," Upshaw told Lakers.com. But while the on-court impact is important and the new physique is "for the ladies," Upshaw is open about the fact that his reputation played a large part in his dedication to trimming down:

The real reason I (lost weight) was because I felt like I had something to prove. There's been a lot of talk about the person I used to be and the person that I am. I just want to show everybody that I know who I am and who I can be as a person in this community and with this basketball team. I know what person I am. I just know I made a lot of bad decisions twice.

While claims of weight loss and muscle gain are commonplace ahead of training camps, the strides Upshaw took were enough that the Los Angeles Lakers finally pulled the trigger on his long-rumored two-year deal with only $35,000 guaranteed. The Lakers reportedly wanted Upshaw to take some "private personal steps" before signing him, even without much in the way of downside with what amounts to a training camp deal.

Upshaw was dismissed from Washington, and before that he was dismissed from Fresno State. It's believed that drug use was one of the issues he had at Fresno State, though in both cases he was removed for undisclosed violations of team rules.

Factor in a heart issue that has been flagged three times, and there would have been significant risk in using a draft pick on Upshaw. With one of the best height, wingspan, standing reach, and hand-size measurements, plus a ridiculous block rate at Washington, the appeal is obvious as a low-cost flier ahead of camp, especially if the team believes they can help him manage whatever personal issues may still be at play.

The Lakers have 12 players under guaranteed contract, six more on non-guaranteed deals, and are rumored to be interested in Metta World Peace. That should make for tough competition for the team's final roster spots, and could mean Upshaw gets tabbed for D-League duty with the L.A. Defenders as an affiliate player.

You can read more about Upshaw in our pre-draft scouting report.