With the Los Angeles Lakers recently trading for veteran point guard Jose Calderon, many felt that it likely meant the end for backup Marcelo Huertas as the two guards have a pretty similar skill set.
The Lakers, however, did not feel the same as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports that the Lakers and Huertas have agreed on a two-year deal:
Restricted free-agent guard Marcelo Huertas has agreed on a two-year deal to return to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told The Vertical.
Huertas, known as ‘The Catalyst’ by many fans, became a crowd favorite late in the year due to his ability to spark runs coming off the bench due to his outstanding court vision and passing ability.
While his numbers weren’t excellent last year, averaging only 4.5 points and 3.4 assists on the year, things always seemed to run smoother when he came into the game. He provided a dependable presence for the Lakers and players just ran harder and cut more frequently when he was in the game as they knew they would receive the ball.
On this current Lakers roster, Huertas likely will start off as the third point guard behind D’Angelo Russell and Calderon, but that was the case last year as well before he ultimately carved himself out a role. It wouldn’t be out of the question for him to do the same again this season as Luke Walton’s system, focused on ball-movement could certainly favor Huertas’ skills.
Even though he isn’t the best shooter, players like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston were able to thrive in this similar system in Golden State, and Huertas could ultimately do the same.