When Luol Deng first joined the Los Angeles Lakers, he was revered as an amazing rotation player with incredible defense and scoring. However, Deng hasn't been a major part of the Lakers' plans. In fact, he has been completely removed from the Lakers rotation, except in some special cases that Luke Walton inserts him to fill in some gaps.

Although Deng hasn't been included much in the Lakers' rotation, Walton has repeatedly praised him as a remarkable asset to the organization. On Saturday, Walton only had a few words to say about Deng, who will be active in Saturday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs.

Deng understands that he will likely not be a part of the Lakers' future plans. He has remained dedicated to mentoring the Lakers' youth, regardless if he receives consistent playing time. According to Bill Oram of the Orange County Register, Deng admitted that the Lakers don't want him in the rotation and that he has used his free time for positive reasons.

“It’s been hard,” he said. “It’s not easy not to play, but at the end of the day I’m trying to control what I can control. I’m still there with the team, I’m at practices, I’m trying to help the young guys as much as I can. For me, I would love to play. I don’t know if it will be here to be honest with you.” They’ve made it clear that I’m not wanted here,” he said “so for me I’ve just got to focus on what I got to control. We have talked about it, me and him,” he said. “It’s what the two of us have discussed in private and what is best for both parties.”

Hopefully, Deng can help the Lakers get a win over the Spurs and prove that he can be a valuable asset to the Lakers on the court.