Mitch Kupchak says Lakers have needs but are running out of roster slots

On Wednesday, the Lakers introduced three recent acquisitions, defensive-minded center Roy Hibbert, scoring guard Lou Williams and power forward Brandon Bass.

“Not only can those veteran players hopefully contribute, but they have solid character, and they can be mentors for our young players,” General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. “We’re going to do our best to win as many games as possible. It’s very, very difficult to do that with all young players.”

The Lakers brought nearly half of their regular-season roster to Las Vegas for summer league, but the team of first- and second-year players struggled to win just one of five games.

Guard D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers’ second overall selection in the 2015 NBA draft, shot poorly (37.7% from the field and 11.8% from three-point range) while turning the ball over 5.2 times a game.

“If you look at all the rookies [around the league], that played in summer league, that were drafted this year, I’m not sure that anybody jumped out,” Kupchak said. “[Russell] knows that to make the next jump in this league, he’s going to have to work awfully hard, get in the gym every day, work on his body.

“It’s great to get drafted in the first round. It’s great to get drafted two, but that’s over now,” Kupchak added about Russell. “Now it’s time to put that behind you and prove yourself in this league. There’s no other way to prove yourself, other than to perform.”

Russell could be the Lakers’ starting point guard this season, sharing a backcourt with Jordan Clarkson with Kobe Bryant at small forward.

Kupchak acknowledged that the team may need to add a point guard and a center.

“We’re talking about it internally right now,” he said. “If you look at Nick Young and Kobe [Bryant] as backcourt players, then we have six. But we may look at those guys maybe at the three spot, and then you might only have four. And one of those four would be Jabari Brown, so now you’re really down to three, which is D’Angelo, Jordan and Lou.

“Depending on how you look at it, we may look to bring another guard on board, we may not.”

Of course, if the Lakers consider Bryant and Young as guards, who is the starting small forward? Rookie Anthony Brown, who was selected in the second round with the 34th overall pick?

Meanwhile, Jabari Brown is on a non-guaranteed minimum contract at $845,059. The same can be said of forward/center Tarik Black (generously listed at 6-foot-11 by the NBA, but closer to 6-foot-9) and Clarkson.

Black and Clarkson seem likely to make the team, while Brown may have to fight for it through training camp. The second-year guard led the summer squad with 17.7 points a game while shooting 38.9% from three-point range.

Kupchak acknowledged the issues at center, where Black may be the team’s best option, outside of Hibbert and Robert Sacre.

“We’re not a big team,” Kupchak said. “We have Roy, clearly who is big, then we have Robert who is 7 foot. Our next tallest player is Ryan Kelly, who at 6-foot-10 or 6-foot-11 is a stretch four. You wouldn’t expect him to block shots and get 15 rebounds and patrol the paint.

“So really if you look at our team, you can make an argument that we need another big player.”

One option that’s been discussed is undrafted rookie center Robert Upshaw, who was dismissed from both Washington and Fresno State for violating team rules. Upshaw averaged 1.4 points and 2.2 rebounds a game on the Lakers’ summer league entry.

“I think you know Robert and how he’s bounced around a little bit at the college level,” Kupchak said. “He’s a player that we looked at in summer league, and we’re continuing to have discussions with his representative. If we did something with Robert, it would be based on potential going forward.

“It’s hard to look at any rookie — we’ve made some commitments to some rookies because they got drafted very high — but to look at a guy that wasn’t drafted and say this is the guy that’s going to be in your rotation, that’s not realistic at all.”

The Lakers hope to get a lot out of Russell in his first year, along with Julius Randle, who is essentially a redshirt rookie after breaking his leg on opening night last year. As the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Randle will need to earn a starting spot in training camp ahead of Bass.

“If you look at Jabari as a guy that’s going to make this team, that would be 14,” Kupchak said. “We really might have only one spot left.”

The team has needs at point guard, center and even small forward, but the roster has only one open position remaining.

The Lakers still have their $2.8-million “room exception” to offer to a free agent.

Tristan Thompson, a restricted free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers, is out of the Lakers’ price range.

Kevin Seraphin, a 6-foot-10, 278-pound forward/center, formerly with the Washington Wizards, may be the best big man available.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Norris Cole is also restricted. Andre Miller and Jason Terry are the best veteran guards without commitments, but both are likely to be looking to join teams with greater playoff aspirations.

The Lakers also could go the trade route. Steve Blake, who spent over three seasons with the Lakers, was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Brooklyn Nets to the Detroit Pistons already this off-season. Earning a modest $2.2 million, to play behind guards Reggie Jackson and Brandon Jennings, perhaps Blake is available for yet another relocation before opening night.

Dorell Wright may be the top veteran small forward left on the market. Guard/forward J.R. Smith has yet to re-sign with the Cavaliers.

The Lakers are expected to bring 17 to 20 players to training camp near the end of September.

Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.

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