Lakers Roster Update: Scotty Pippen Jr., 2 More Players Waived Before 2023 NBA Season

With the start of the 2023-24 season just one week away, the Los Angeles Lakers have begun trimming down their roster.

The team announced on Tuesday that guards Scotty Pippen Jr. and Damion Baugh and forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon have been waived.

The son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Pippen had originally signed a two-way contract with the Lakers after going undrafted in 2022. He spent much of last season with the team's G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. In 19 games, he averaged 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.6 steals to earn a selection to the G League's inaugural Next Up Game.

Pippen appeared in two preseason games this year and posted 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 15.7 minutes of action. Baugh and Valerio Bodon both appeared in one preseason game for Los Angeles before being waived.

The Lakers are coming off a trip to the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Denver Nuggets. They will close out the preseason on Thursday against the Phoenix Suns, and they will go up against the Nuggets in their regular-season opener on Oct. 24.