Lakers make Smith, Appling and Brown affiliate players with D-Fenders

The Lakers have named Roscoe Smith, Keith Appling and Jabari Brown to the D-Fenders as affiliate players.

The trio of rookies were part of the Lakers training camp roster, but were cut before the start of the regular season.

Smith (small forward) made seven preseason appearances, averaging 3.1 points and 3.1 rebounds over 14.9 minutes a game.

Brown (shooting guard) played in four exhibition games, scoring five points in a total of 22 minutes.

Appling (point guard) was felled with a shoulder injury in his second appearance, playing 20 minutes in total with the team with a field goal and two assists.

NBA teams can assign up to four former players as affiliate players -- assuming they choose to sign an NBA Development League contract.

The D-Fenders announced their training camp roster on Saturday, which included five returning players, including former Lakers guard Manny Harris. Also returning to the team -- center Travis Hyman, guard Josiah Turner, guard/forward Gideon Gamble and Jamario Moon (a former Clippers forward).

The team selected forward/center Eloy Vargas (17th overall pick), guard Naadir Tharpe (26th), forward Ray Turner (53rd), forward Charles Hinkle (71st), forward Jordan Burris (89th) and guard Sammy Yeager (99th) in Saturday’s NBA Development League draft.

The team also traded for former Boston Celtics guard Vander Blue, while bringing in two local tryout players (forwards Khyle Marshall and Wendell Faines).

The D-Fenders will need to whittle down their roster to 12 players by Nov. 13. The season starts the following day in Santa Cruz against the Warriors.

The NBA Development League recently named Malcolm Turner as president, a Harvard graduate who interned with the NBA back in 1996.

“It is an exciting time at the NBA and for basketball overall, especially with the league’s leadership and the industry understanding the importance and potential of the NBA D-League,” said Turner, in a statement. “I was intrigued by the opportunity to help grow and develop the league, as well as the chance to once again work closely with people I have long respected. I am very much looking forward to working with the teams and the league office to usher in a period I am confident will be marked by great basketball and business gains.”

The D-League recently expanded to 18 teams, 17 of which have direct one-to-one relationships with corresponding NBA franchises. The remaining 13 NBA teams share affiliation with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.