Before being signed by the Los Angeles Lakers in late December, former lottery pick Kendall Marshall was playing in the D-League with an uncertain future.
Fortunately, Marshall caught the eye of the Lakers front office and was brought in after Kobe Bryant went down with a knee injury. Since that time, Marshall has put proven to the Lakers and the rest of the league that he belongs, averaging 11.9 assists per game since becoming a starter.
Before taking on the Chicago Bulls on Monday night, Marshall was asked about the journey to take back to playing on the NBA level and said the following according to Sean Highkin of USA Today:
“At first it was kind of a shock,” Marshall told USA TODAY Sports on Monday in the visitor’s locker room at the United Center before the Lakers played the Chicago Bulls. “I don’t think anybody imagines that they’ll be out of the league after one year. But once I got back on the court, working out, focusing on getting better, I was a lot more confident going into the D-League.”
With 13 games in the books for Marshall as a Laker, the North Carolina standout has made a considerable impression and may have helped his cause in terms of securing a long-term future in the league.
Marshall signed a two-year deal with the Lakers, but the deal is non-guaranteed. The UNC alum is set to make $915,243 next season if retained by the Lakers.
At this point in time, there’s no telling what the team will do in the off-season, but Marshall has definitely made a strong case to stay with the Lakers thus far.
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