The Los Angeles Lakers headed into NBA free agency on July 1 with the majority of their roster set to hit the open market. Although re-signing Jordan Clarkson to a long-term deal was arguably the team’s top priority, retaining Tarik Black was also something the Lakers wanted to get done this summer.
According to Dan Duangdao, Black has agreed to terms with the Lakers:
Lakers finalizing two-year deal with Tarik Black according to source.
— Dan Duangdao (@DanDuangdao) July 4, 2016
Shams Charania of The Vertical reported the details of the deal shortly after:
Vertical Sources: Free agent Tarik Black has agreed to a two-year, $12.85 million deal to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 4, 2016
After being traded to the Lakers from the Houston Rockets, Black made an impression in Los Angeles with some solid play off the bench under head coach Byron Scott. Black’s play led to a fair amount of optimism about his future with the Lakers but then fell out of favor with Scott last season which jeopardized his future with the team.
Fortunately for Black, the Lakers brass appears confident he can continue to provide a spark off the bench under new head coach Luke Walton. Black is an athletic big that can play multiple positions, and although limited in terms of his ability to stretch the floor, the 24-year-old could still prove to be a valuable asset for Walton and company.
In 77 games over the course of his two seasons in Los Angeles, Black averaged 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 57.5 percent from the floor.