Los Angeles Lakers: The most confusing moves of the offseason

3.  Releasing Thomas Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers selected Thomas Bryant in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft, one year after selecting center Ivica Zubac in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft. While Zubac is still on the roster and will have a role on next season’s team, Bryant finds himself on the Washington Wizards after just one season with the Lakers.

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Calling it one season is a bit generous. Bryant only played 15 games with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and averaged just 4.8 minutes in those appearances. Perhaps it was the addition of a new Bryant to the team so soon after Kobe Bryant retired from the league.

While Bryant did not do much in his brief NBA appearances, he proved in the NBA G League that he is a young prospect with a ton of potential that could have legitimately helped a Lakers team that needs help at the center position.

Bryant averaged 19.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 blocks per game in 37 G League games last season. He also shot 59.5 percent from the field, making him one of the most efficent players in the G League last season.

Bryant was so good that he was named to the G League All-Rookie Team as well as the First-Team All NBA G League.

Granted, the G League is nothing like the NBA and the Lakers would not have gotten that high of production out of Bryant. However, he obviously showed that he has a skill set to succeed as a professional basketball player. Releasing him with no depth at center was foolish.