The Los Angeles Lakers proved last season that they will leave no stone unturned
when it comes to constructing their roster when they invited Marcelo Huertas
to training camp and the two sides agreed on a deal.
This year, they have gone down a similar path, but with a much more well-known
name among the NBA ranks. For a little while now, the Lakers and former No.6
overall pick Yi Jianlian have been linked to one another. On Monday, the team
officially announced that they have signed Jianlian, though the terms of the deal
were not released, per team policy.
Jianlian last played in the NBA in 2011-12 with the Dallas Mavericks before heading back
to China to play for the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
The signing comes as a bit of a surprise, considering the amount of front court players
already on the roster. Along with Timofey Mozgov, Tarik Black and Ivica Zubac at center,
the Lakers also have power forwards Julius Randle, Larry Nance, Jr. and reportedly
have a deal to bring in Zach Auguste to training camp. Not to mention Luol Deng,
who will likely log minutes at both the three and the four for Los Angeles.
Despite the logjam on the front line, Jianlian, 28, can still offer a skill set that
fits well with what head coach Luke Walton wants to run. Jianlian's ability to play
both the four and the five could help his case for some playing time,
along with his ability to stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting.
Additionally, his presence could help the Lakers off the court by appealing
to the enormous market in Asia, now that Kobe Bryant is retired.
Only time will tell how much of an impact Jianlian can make for the Lakers on the court.
With so many players fighting for minutes, it should make for some interesting battles
in training camp, which is just about a month away.