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Lakers News: Promising, Young Guard with LA Ties Waived by West Franchise

He'll look to find his new NBA home.

Matt Wagner

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A promising guard with ties to the Los Angeles area was waived by his NBA team on Saturday. 

Josh Christopher was released by the Memphis Grizzlies this weekend, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. 

Christopher, a Carson, California native, first jumped on the scene as a star at Mayfair High School. 

He garnered a consensus five-star recruiting ranking and was listed as a 99 on a 100 scale, per 247 Sports.

Christopher became a McDonald's All-American and the nation's No. 8 overall recruit by the time his prep career came to an end, and he went on to play one season at Arizona State before being selected by the Houston Rockets with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

Christopher was a role player in Houston for two years, and averaged 5.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game last season. 

He was sent to Memphis earlier this offseason as part of a sign-and-trade that led to forward Dillon Brooks landing with the Rockets. 

While he was released before ever playing a game for the Grizzlies, the 21-year-old Christopher still has considerable potential with athleticism and quality defense being two standout aspects. 

Christopher's immediate NBA future is in limbo with his release today, but he's sure to find another organization to call home at some point in the near term as he tries to get his career back on track. 

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Matt Wagner
MATT WAGNER

Matt Wagner was born and raised in southern California, and he lived there before moving to Colorado and getting his B.A. in Communications from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2022. He relocated back to southern California in 2023 and is looking forward to covering the teams that mean so much to his home area. Some of his past work is in Bleacher Report, Dodgers Tailgate, and, most recently, Colorado Buffaloes Wire. Aside from writing, you can probably catch him petting the nearest dog or eating some good Mexican food.

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