JUST IN: Is it wise for the Lakers to choose a player on a two-way contract with the No. 55 pick?

One of the less talked-about weaknesses of the Lakers’ roster in previous seasons was the end of the bench. With a mix of veterans on minimum agreements and young, growing prospects, the Lakers had far too few options to switch things up. The Lakers started this previous season with Cam Reddish, Bronny James, Maxwell Lewis, and Jalen Hood-Schifino. In theory, some of those players should have been able to play more because of Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood’s injuries, but all it did was highlight how weak the Lakers’ depth was.

By the end of the season, the team had resolved some of those problems through their in-season additions and trades, but the issue was still clearly present. This is a sign, in a way, that the Lakers want to depend on their scouting division. Players like Lewis, Hood-Schifino, and Bronny were chosen with the hope that the team could turn them into future contributors.

Although those wagers could have made sense in isolation, the presence of so many players of that type on the roster really works against the team. Even though there will most likely be a squad revamp this offseason, making the most of the roster spaces available should still be a top focus. The Lakers may be in another roster crunch, as you can see if you start doing some math. You’ll have several guys who probably can’t start right away if Markieff Morris is reinstated and Bronny stays on the squad.

Which brings us to the draft, which is now less than a week away. The Lakers hold the No. 55 pick, the same spot they selected Bronny from last season. Instead of taking a long-term gamble on a player with a roster spot, should the team look to use one of their two two-way contracts available when drafting a player?

The only two-way spot taken up by the Lakers right now is Trey Jemison. Christian Koloko’s two-way contract was just for one season and Jordan Goodwin was converted to a normal contract late in the season.

It’s not a strategy the Lakers have used before, but it’s one that many others around the league have. The problem is that it limits who you may be able to select.

There have been any number of stories throughout the years of players asking not to be drafted because they don’t want to sign two-way deals with teams late in the second round. The Lakers benefited from that very scenario to land Austin Reaves.

In all likelihood, the team cannot decide on this four days prior to the selection. However, compared to other seasons, they ought to be more receptive to it. It’s acceptable to use a regular roster space on a player who is selected in the draft and who they believe has the potential to contribute right away. However, the Lakers cannot start a new season with so many players on the bench who are essentially unusable.