Part of Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak says Metta World Peace can still play. But it's the other, unsure part of Kupchak that is keeping the free agent forward unsigned for now.
Kupchak says that the Lakers are only in the considering stage as far as their former player goes, according to lakersnation.com.
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"We've got a couple more weeks (until training camp)," Kupchak said. "Our roster's not complete. And we'll just take it from there. Nothing's imminent in terms of a signing anytime soon, but it's hard not to watch a guy when he's in your gym every day going up and down the court, working with young guys, playing hard. Part of me says he can still play, so I don't know where we're going to end up on it. But that's kind of where it is."
According to the report, World Peace spent the 2014-15 season playing overseas in China and Italy but has spent time in the Lakers' training facility mentoring 2014 first-round pick Julius Randle and the other Los Angeles forwards.
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Another lakersnation.com report indicated that Kupchak was impressed with World Peace's workload.
"I love the guy," Kupchak said. "I really do. Last year, he was in Europe, he was in China. (Then) he coached his daughter's middle school or high school team to a championship. He was here to work out when he got back from Europe playing, and then he'd come in through the summer. He's been coming in on a regular basis. I do know that he wants to play, and that's where we are."
The team thinks World Peace can be a positive mentor for Randle, which has led to the consideration of a roster spot for him.
Why the Lakers have not yet signed World Peace is curious. The team has 17 of its 20 training camp roster sports filled, with five players with partial or non-guarantees. That list includes Tarik Black and Jabari Brown, which lakersnation.com said "both of whom played major roles down the stretch last season for the Lakers."
On a team that won 21 games, that's not saying much.
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