One of the first names brought up as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency was Milwaukee Bucks guard Wesley Matthews. After the team traded away Danny Green in the deal for Dennis Schroder, Matthews seemed like the perfect fit to step in and fill that role.
But with 3-and-D wings being all so important in this era of the NBA, a player like Matthews was sure to get plenty of interest from a number of teams. And Matthews being an 11-year veteran with plenty of playoff experience makes him an even bigger target for teams looking to get over the hump and win the championship.
Ultimately, Matthews has appeared to make his decision, agreeing to a one-year contract with the Lakers in which is going to be their bi-annual exception, per Shams Charania of The Athletic:
Wes Matthews is signing a one-year, $3.6M deal with the LA Lakers, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. https://t.co/fYHthoXFjE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 20, 2020
Last season Matthews averaged 7.4 points and knocked down 36.4% from three-point range, which was actually slightly lower than his career 38.1% from deep.
Matthews fills key need for Lakers
With the Lakers reportedly anticipating Rajon Rondo to leave the team in free agency, they orchestrated a trade to acquire Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder. While that seemingly filled a void, it created another as Danny Green was included in the deal.
Signing Matthews gives the Lakers a needed defensive presence on the wing. He could become all the more important if Avery Bradley or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are not re-signed. Matthews also shot better from deep than Green did last season.
He reached free agency by declining a $2.7 million player option for the 2020-21 season.
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