Lakers center Andrew Bogut could be available to practice by this weekend

It has only been eight days since the Lakers signed center Andrew Bogut to a one-year veteran minimum deal and he has not yet been able to practice with the Lakers, but his paperwork is expected to go through by the end of the week.

This is a normal process for foreign players after they sign with NBA teams. It typically doesn’t impact the start of training camp, because most players sign contracts well before then.

The process of acquiring the type of work visa that is specific to professional athletes takes about five to seven business days.

Bogut is the oldest player on the Lakers’ roster. He will be 33 in November. His deal this year amounts to a training camp invitation, but there’s a good chance he will take the 15th roster spot for the regular season that the Lakers currently have open.

If Bogut’s work visa is cleared by Friday night, as expected, he will be available for the Lakers’ first preseason game on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It is unclear if Lakers Coach Luke Walton would use Bogut much if at all in that game, but it’s sure to feature a heavy dose of the Lakers’ younger centers if Bogut doesn’t play. Center Brook Lopez was limited to noncontact drills in the Lakers’ first practice on Tuesday as he works through some minor back spasms.

tania.ganguli@latimes.com

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