The Los Angeles Lakers tried many different options last year for their backup big man, but the most consistent throughout the season was Wenyen Gabriel. While undersized for a traditional center, Gabriel made up for that with constant energy and effort any time he stepped on the court.
Though he fell out of the rotation late in the season and into the playoffs, Gabriel remained an excellent teammate throughout the Lakers entire postseason run. He could always be seen on the bench cheering on and supporting his teammates which is all you can ask for.
With the Lakers re-tooling their roster this offseason, including their frontcourt with the additions of Christian Wood and Jaxson Hayes, it became pretty clear that Gabriel’s time with the franchise had come to an end. But Gabriel has found a new home as according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, he has agreed to a training camp contract with the Boston Celtics:
Free agent 7 footer Wenyen Gabriel has agreed to a training camp deal with the Boston Celtics, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 1, 2023
This will be a good opportunity to make a roster for Gabriel, who has shown that he is an NBA-caliber player and simply needs the right opportunity to really showcase his skills. The Celtics have a need for some size after trading away Robert Williams, so perhaps there is a pathway to a roster spot.
His offensive skillset is limited overall, but Gabriel is a great finisher at the rim and his work on the offensive glass is outstanding. A player like him who gives 100% at all time will almost always find a way to contribute something to a team and Gabriel will surely do just that.
Vanderbilt agrees to extension with Lakers
In addition to adding a pair of centers in free agency, the Lakers also bring back Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura to help in the frontcourt after the latter re-signed in free agency.
Vanderbilt was getting set to end the final season of his contract although he became extension-eligible for the first time in September. It did not take long for Vanderbilt and the Lakers to get a deal done, agreeing on a four-year, $48 million extension.
The deal is reported to be fully guaranteed with a player option in the final season in 2027-28. At just 24 years of age, Vanderbilt is now a part of the Lakers’ long-term core and the hope is that he will continue developing his offense game to make this extension look like a steal for the Lakers.
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