BREAKING: Lakers Reach Agreement on Four-Year Deal With Luol Deng

Trevor Lane
3 Min Read

After coming to an agreement with free agent center Timofey Mozgov at the opening bell of free agency, and then doing the same with young guard Jordan Clarkson, the Los Angeles Lakers set out to find more veteran talent to add to their young core.

Needing some help on the wing, they pursued Nicolas Batum and Kent Bazemore, but were turned down as both opted to return to their incumbent teams. Undaunted, the team moved on to other options, finally striking a deal with free agent forward Luol Deng, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical:

Deng, a two-time All-Star, has also played for Chicago, Cleveland, and Miami over the course of a 12-year NBA Career. At 31 years old, Deng can offer the team a steady, veteran leader to lean on. He is known for being an excellent presence in the locker room, which should be a great influence both on and off the court for a Lakers team that is stocked with young players.

The person who may benefit most from this move is prized rookie Brandon Ingram, who now has a ready-made mentor at his position. Deng has spent his career playing against the very best the league has to offer, and will be able to share all of the tricks he has learned. Additionally, having an established player like Deng in the fold means that Ingram doesn’t have to feel as pressure to produce right away, and an instead take time acclimating to the NBA.

While Deng has spent most of his career playing small forward, he shifted to power forward last season for the Miami Heat to replace Chris Bosh, and performed admirably. This newfound versatility gives coach Luke Walton another option to consider when putting together his offense, which will be a nice luxury to have.

Deng has career averages of 15.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1 steal.

 

Trevor Lane is a longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan who had the good fortune to grow up during the glory days of the Showtime Lakers, when Magic Johnson, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the rest ruled the Great Western Forum. He has written about basketball, soccer, fantasy sports, MMA, and even pro wrestling over the course of his career, but the spectacle that is the Lakers is his true passion. He made the leap into podcasting for Lakers Nation and provides voice-over analysis for our YouTube channel. With a who's who of stars gracing the Lakers lineup over the years, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others, the Lakers always provide plenty to talk about. When he isn't writing or recording, Trevor can be found spending time with his wife and daughter or on the sidelines for one of the youth teams he coaches. Outside of the Lakers, Trevor is a supporter of the LA Galaxy, US Soccer, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Contact: trevor@mediumlargela.com