Getty New Los Angeles Lakers guard Frank Mason III.
Training camp is humming along for the Los Angeles Lakers as they prepare for the regular-season start on October 19 against the Golden State Warriors. The roster is all mostly set but the team could be interested in adding another piece or two. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles is signing veteran point guard Frank Mason III.
Free agent G Frank Mason III is signing a training camp deal with the Lakers, source tells ESPN.
Mason has played for the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic through four seasons. He’s only played in a combined 13 games over the last two years and averages over 6.7 points a game throughout his career. As noted by Wojnarowski, this deal will only be through training camp.
While he has yet to make a serious impact in the NBA quite yet, Mason has had success elsewhere. He was a Consensus first-team All-American during his senior season at Kansas and was also named Big 12 Player of the Year. In 2020, he was named the NBA’s G League MVP. He does have talent, it just hasn’t translated to actual NBA games. He’ll have a chance to earn the last remaining two-way contract the Lakers have to offer.
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Rajon Rondo Happy to Be Back With Lakers
Getty ImagesLakers Guard Rajon Rondo.
Unfortunately for Mason, there’s no room in the Lakers’ rotation for another point guard. His hope has to be to earn a two-way contract. In fact, point guard may be the team’s deepest position group on the roster. One of the most notable moves Los Angeles made in the offseason was bringing back veteran point guard Rajon Rondo. He was an important part of the championship team but decided to leave for money in free agency last offseason.
It was a move he clearly regretted as he’s very happy to be wearing the purple and gold again. During Monday’s preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets, Rondo had a hard time controlling his emotions.
“I almost cried again [Monday],” Rondo told TMZ. “It means everything. I was away for a year … came back and the reception I got last night, I had to try to focus on the game.”
Though Rondo wasn’t always beloved during his early tenure with the Lakers, he won over a ton of fans with his playoff performance last year.
Lakers Gearing up for Big Season
The Lakers are heading into the upcoming season with one of the most stacked rosters in league history. The pieces may not fit together perfectly but the squad is oozing with Hall of Fame talent. Los Angeles is going to win a lot of games on the backs of Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
There are concerns about the team’s spacing and defense but they should be fine as long as the stars stay healthy. Davis and LeBron can still be elite defenders. Last season was odd for the Lakers considering they had a shortened offseason. The team has had a long time to rest up and prepare this year and is out for blood. It’s going to be a big year in Los Angeles.
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