Getty Damian Jones guarding Luka Doncic.
There have been a number of rumors linking the Los Angeles Lakers to players throughout the league. While more moves can still happen down the road, they’ve landed on someone for now. The team announced that they are signing center Damian Jones to a 10-day contract.
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Jones has been in the NBA since 2016, when was a first-round pick by the Golden State Warriors. He was a member of the 2017 and 2018 championship teams. Jones only played in 25 games over his first two seasons in Golden State. He saw his role increase during his third season as he started in 22 games and averaged 5.4 points a game. Unfortunately, a torn pectoral muscle made him miss the rest of the regular season, and he didn’t return until the playoffs. That was his last season with the Warriors.
Last season, he was with the Atlanta Hawks and started 27 games for them. He was most recently with the Phoenix Suns but was released on Tuesday. He’ll now get another chance to compete for championships in Los Angeles if they decide to keep him past the 10-day contract.
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Will Jones Have a Role With Lakers?
The fact that the Lakers signed Jones to a 10-day contract probably means that they don’t see him as a long-term fit. However, there will be plenty of opportunities for him to make his case before the All-Star break. With Anthony Davis injured, the Lakers are seriously lacking in size, which has hurt the team on defense. Jones is 6 feet, 11 inches tall and will be one of the biggest players on the team.
Jones averages only 4.3 points a game and 2.8 rebounds over his career. He probably won’t make too much of an impact in Los Angeles. That said, he’s tall and athletic. Perhaps he can serve as Marc Gasol’s backup when the Lakers are playing bigger teams. Montrezl Harrell is a very good player, but he’s small for a backup center. When the Lakers play a team like the Denver Nuggets, they need more size. Jones probably isn’t the answer, but this could be a great opportunity for him.
Lakers Will Probably Focus on Adding Shooting
Over the last month or so, rumors have linked the Lakers to Hassan Whiteside, DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond, Blake Griffin, P.J. Tucker and more. While all of those men could be a good fit in Los Angeles, it’ll be hard to afford any of them. Also, Davis is going to come back eventually. Once he’s back, the Lakers’ need for size decreases.
However, Davis doesn’t totally fix the team’s issues from the 3-point line. If the Lakers are desperate to make a move, they need to target a shooter. JJ Redick is probably going to get moved, and he’s one of the best shooters around. It would be massive if they could pick him up. If not, they should look at George Hill or Trevor Ariza. Both of those men are capable shooters who could really help the Lakers.
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Lakers Sign 2-Time Champion & Former 1st Round Pick Center