Throughout the preseason, Lakers Coach Luke Walton praised one thing most often about Yi Jianlian: He was the Lakers’ best shooting big man.
His small sample size in the Lakers preseason games, though, didn’t indicate much of a role with the team this season. As such, ESPN reported Yi asked for his release from the Lakers after a discussion with the team on Sunday.
During the preseason, Yi averaged 10.7 minutes a game. He only made 35% of his shots, but it's important to note he only averaged 3.