According to a report by ESPN's Marc Stein late Sunday night, Yi Jianlian will not be a member of the 2016-17 Los Angeles Lakers after the Chinese center spoke with the team and asked to be released ahead of LA's final roster cuts.
Yi had reportedly hoped for a larger role, but Tarik Black had earned the backup center spot with the team during training camp and in preseason. Free agent signing Timofey Mozgov appeared to be the clear choice at starting center.
ESPN sources say Yi Jianlian, after talks with the team Sunday, has asked to be released by the Lakers and will be formally waived Monday. — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 24, 2016
The 28-year-old had been singled out as one of the three players fighting for the final roster spot, alongside Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson. With Yi out of the picture, either World Peace and Robinson will be cut on Monday.
When the role Yi expected with the Lakers did not materialize after he left China, sources say he and his reps asked the team to let him go — Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) October 24, 2016
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Robinson stood out during training camp and continued to show strength and hustle in the preseason, while World Peace played limited minutes in the Lakers' exhibitions. Robinson would be the logical choice from an on-court perspective, while World Peace would be a choice geared to placing a veteran on the end of the bench of a young team.
Lakers coach Luke Walton still faces a tough decision, but Robinson appears to be in line to make the roster and serve as the third power forward behind Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr.
