Training camp kicks off next week, and the Lakers’ front office has been quietly executing some wild chess moves in the background. They just signed Anton Watson, Chase Ross, and Meechie Johnson Jr. to Exhibit 10 deals, only to turn around and waive Watson a single day later. Seriously, one day! Ross and Johnson could totally be next. So what in the heck is the point of signing a guy just to ditch him 24 hours later? The Lakers already have sixteen players locked up on standard contracts, so why are they even bothering with these extra dudes? It all boils down to an expanded roster limit for training camp, where teams can stack up to twenty players until the regular-season cutdown. This isn’t about filling their main roster; it’s a calculated strategy to build out their G League squad. It’s smart, sneaky, and totally flying under the radar.
The Lakers’ G League Roster Blueprint
This Exhibit 10 contract mechanism is a genius play for the Lakers. It lets them funnel extra cash directly to players, but only if those guys stick with the newly rebranded Coachella Valley Lakers for at least sixty days. We’re talking anywhere from $5,000 to around $90,000 in bonus money! And here’s the kicker: that money doesn’t count against the Lakers’ team salary. It won’t hit their luxury-tax bill or push them closer to that first apron limit. Honestly, there’s zero downside for the Lakers. For Ross and Johnson to even be eligible for that bonus, they have to be waived before the regular season starts. Given the Lakers already have sixteen standard contracts, both players face an uphill battle to make the regular-season squad anyway. The Lakers probably want to see if they light it up in training camp, proving they deserve either a standard roster spot or one of their three two-way slots. That’s crucial because Exhibit 10 deals can’t convert to two-way contracts once the regular season officially begins. This strategy is about smart roster management and investing in their G League future without blowing up their salary cap.
Who Are These Exhibit 10 Fighters?
Let’s talk about the players getting scooped up. Anton Watson was originally snagged by the Boston Celtics with the No. 54 pick in the 2024 draft. He signed a two-way deal, but never saw a regular-season minute for them before being waived in March 2025. The Knicks claimed him two days later, and he managed twenty-two minutes across nine games for them. The Lakers actually signed Watson to an Exhibit 10 last year too, waiving him before the 2025-26 regular season. He put up 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals, shooting 46.2% overall and 32.3% from deep for the then-South Bay Lakers in fourteen appearances. Chase Ross went undrafted out of Marquette this past summer, averaging 14.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per game as a senior, earning a Big East All-Defensive team spot. Meechie Johnson Jr. also went undrafted after bouncing between Ohio State and South Carolina. As a super senior, he averaged 17.2 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting 41.4% overall and 32.6% from deep. The Lakers have now signed a staggering six players to Exhibit 10 contracts, the most in the entire league! This isn’t some random fluke; it’s a deliberate, aggressive move to stockpile talent for their G League pipeline.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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