The Los Angeles Lakers clearly like what they have in Stanley Johnson and want to keep him around.
According to a report, the team has rewarded him with a two-year deal.
Forward Stanley Johnson has agreed to a new two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Johnson’s final 10-day contract expires Wednesday, but his contagious defense, energy and play earn him a guaranteed rest of the year.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 26, 2022
Lakers had been discussing some two-for-one trades along the roster margins, but ultimately landed on keeping Johnson in 15th spot, especially because of his willingness to agree on a team option for year, per sources. That keeps some deal-making flexibility for LA this summer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 26, 2022
Johnson has provided the Lakers with a nice spark this season. He has appeared in 14 games, started six of them and made a notable impact on both sides of the ball.
Overall this season, he’s averaging 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest. He’s shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.
Johnson is just 25 years old, so it seems like he still has lots of time to grow at the NBA level. The Lakers would love to see him take his game to new heights over time.
For now, the former first-round pick will look to help the Lakers turn their 2021-22 campaign around. The team is 24-24 on the season.
