Lakers' Holmes dislocates shoulder diving for loose ball
Jonathan Holmes' attempt to make the Los Angeles Lakers as a training camp invite may have come to an unfortunate and premature end.
Holmes dislocated his right shoulder diving for a loose ball during Monday's preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team announced. Head trainer Gary Vitti appeared to pop the shoulder back into place on the court and Holmes headed to the locker room. X-rays were negative but Holmes is expected to be immobile for "a couple weeks" and is out indefinitely.
The Lakers are expected to make roster cuts soon, as they have seven players on non-guaranteed contracts fighting for three or fewer roster spots. With their preseason finale Thursday, it seems Holmes' audition has come to a close. He'll have to hope he impressed enough in practice, as he played only 15 minutes over two preseason games, scoring four points and grabbing six rebounds.
It was initially reported that Holmes received a "significant" partial guarantee on his two-year contract, with Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders later putting the guaranteed amount at $100,000. The Lakers would be responsible for his league-minimum salary for as long as he's injured, should his injury time extend past the prorated $100,000 marker.
Should the Lakers cut Holmes, he could be tabbed for D-League duty as an affiliate player once healthy. While his college production didn't jump off the page statistically, the forward has a 6-foot-11.5 wingspan and an 8-foot-11.5 standing reach, making him an intriguing defensive prospect.