Lakers News

Report: Athletic, young center agrees to 2-year deal with Lakers

Published by
Zach Stevens

The Los Angeles Lakers have needed a young, athletic upgrade at the center position, and now they will be getting one.

They have reportedly signed Damian Jones, a 6-foot-11 big man, to a two-year contract.

Jones, who turns 27 today, averaged 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 blocked shots in 18.2 minutes per game this season for the Sacramento Kings.

He even started to add a bit of range to his offensive game, attempting 0.5 3-point shots per game and hitting 34.5 percent of them.

Jones had previously spent a brief stint with the Purple and Gold during the 2020-21 campaign, during which he didn’t impress much, but he has apparently grown as a player since.

This past season, L.A. had to make do with DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard as its primary centers. Both proved they weren’t exactly what they were just a few years ago, and Jordan fell out of the rotation after several weeks.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has stated that the squad needs to get younger. They had one of the oldest rosters anyone could remember seeing during the 2021-22 campaign, and it hampered their ability to stay healthy, play defense and finish games strong.

Jones was originally the 30th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He spent three seasons there, getting himself two championship rings, but he has bounced around the NBA a bit since then.

Maybe now he can find himself a more permanent home with the Lakers.

Zach Stevens

Zach has always had a profound love and respect for the Lakers that has inspired him to write about the franchise. He has a great deal of admiration for LeBron James, and his overall knowledge about the NBA has made him a solid addition to the Lakers Daily staff.

Published by
Zach Stevens

Recent Posts

‘LeBron makes the trades’: Carmelo Anthony speaks out on chances of Lakers dealing LeBron James

Amid chatter about the future of 20-time All-Star LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers,…

December 20, 2024

DeMarcus Cousins says he and Anthony Davis would’ve helped Pelicans become contenders if not for ‘dumba-s’ Dell Demps

Former All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins called out former New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell…

December 19, 2024

Darvin Ham fires massive shot at Lakers: ‘Anywhere else I’m probably looking at an extension’

Darvin Ham has had more NBA Cup success than any coach in the league since…

December 18, 2024

Bobby Portis on the difference between the Bucks and the Lakers: ‘We’re not Hollywood’

The Milwaukee Bucks captured the 2024 NBA Cup title with a 97-81 victory over the…

December 18, 2024

Report: Lakers are not interested in shopping LeBron, Anthony Davis unless they ask out

Perhaps no two players have contributed more to the Los Angeles Lakers since the start…

December 18, 2024

Lakers insider identifies big indicator of LeBron’s decline that he’s noticed this season

Los Angeles Lakers insider Jovan Buha has noticed that superstar LeBron James is calling out…

December 17, 2024