The Los Angeles Lakers again have to look for role players willing to sign for L.A. on a minimum deal due to the franchise’s limited resources.
The Lakers had only the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to offer free agents this summer, which they reportedly used to bring in former San Antonio Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV. Besides that, the Purple and Gold were expected to focus on finding players with something to prove, offering them short minimum deals and hoping they would come to L.A. and put in the extra effort to boost their value — just like Malik Monk did during the 2021-22 season.
The Lakers reportedly found a player who meets the criteria in former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards forward Troy Brown Jr. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports Brown penned a minimum deal with L.A. after free agency began on Thursday night:
Free agent Troy Brown Jr. has agreed to a minimum deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2022
The Wizards selected Brown with the No. 15 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He played college basketball for Oregon, joining the Ducks as a five-star prospect.
The 6-foot-6 forward has averaged 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds during his four-year NBA career, shooting 42.9% from the field and 33.7% from deep. Since entering the league, the 22-year-old has been a solid defender who can guard multiple positions.
After arriving in Chicago from D.C. in a three-team trade in March earlier this year, the Bulls decided not to tender a qualifying offer to Brown, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Lakers reunited with center Damian Jones
The Lakers reportedly signed center Damian Jones to a two-year minimum deal on Thursday.
Jones returns to L.A. after a brief spell with the Purple and Gold in the 2020-21 season, when he played eight games for the team on two 10-day contracts.
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