Four veterans returning to L.A.; Caruso to Bulls
The phrase “Laker for life” is truly getting a workout this offseason.
In the first few hours of NBA free agency on Monday, the Lakers reportedly agreed to terms with four veterans: Trevor Ariza; Wayne Ellington; Kent Bazemore and Dwight Howard. All are older players on one-year deals with needed skills to build a roster around the Lakers’ star trio — and notably, all have been Lakers before.
ESPN was first to report Ariza’s deal; Yahoo led on Ellington’s deal and The Athletic was the first to report on Howard and Bazemore. A person with knowledge of the Lakers’ offseason plans had previously told Southern California News Group a Howard reunion was possible this offseason as the Lakers look to improve on last season’s first-round playoff exit.
Both Ariza, 36, and Howard, 35, won titles with the Lakers in previous stints. Ariza was on the 2009 title team that topped Howard’s Orlando Magic, and Howard won it all in 2020 in his second stint with the franchise. The Lakers are betting that these older players will help reignite championship magic on a roster built around All-Stars LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
“Let’s run it back,” Howard wrote in an Instagram post, adding a hashtag: “#iwantmyparadedammit”.
But the first day of free agency was not without pain. Alex Caruso agreed to a four-year, $37 million deal with the Chicago Bulls, which leaves the Lakers without perhaps their best perimeter defender from last season and a perennial fan favorite who was on the 2020 championship team.
The Athletic reported that the Lakers did not counter-offer on the 27-year-old, which is a bit of a surprise for a player who has been a key contributor for the past two seasons. The Lakers had the ability to match and even exceed Chicago’s offer to retain Caruso, but with the franchise facing the tough financial prospect of paying for three maximum-contract players for at least the next two seasons and the resulting skyhigh luxury tax bill from their payroll, they chose not to do so.
“Will never forget my time in L.A. and the #lakeshow fans,” Caruso wrote on Twitter, “y’all loved me before it was cool”.
The 2021-22 roster will be considerably more experienced, with James, Ariza, Howard and Marc Gasol all 35 or older. Ellington is 33 and Bazemore is 32, and the Lakers are likely to be hunting for more veterans who are long in the tooth but willing to accept minimum contracts to fill out their roster. Multiple media outlets have reported that forward Carmelo Anthony, 37, and guard Patty Mills (who turns 33 this month) are potential targets for the Lakers.
Notably, no deal materialized for free agent point guard Dennis Schröder, who had been hoping to cash in this offseason after turning down an $84 million contract extension offer from the Lakers earlier this year. The chilly point guard market might increase the likelihood that the Lakers can use the 27-year-old in a sign-andtrade deal to acquire players or draft assets.
Ariza averaged 9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Miami Heat last season after his contract was bought out by Oklahoma City. The Westchester High and UCLA product is entering his 18th NBA season, and the Lakers will be his seventh team in the last four years.
Howard thought he might be returning last season, but he now begins his third stint to L.A. after playing one season in Philadelphia, where he averaged 7.0 points and 8.4 rebounds. He’ll give the Lakers a physical presence at center, as well as familiarity with Coach Frank Vogel’s scheme.
Ellington returns to the Lakers, having previously spent a forgettable 2014-15 season with the team. The 33-year-old shot better than 42% from 3-point range while averaging 9.6 for the Detroit Pistons last season.
Bazemore played for the Lakers as a 24-year-old during the 2013-14 season. He spent last season with Golden State, shooting a career-best 40.8% from 3-point range while averaging 7.2 points per game.
Free agents can not officially sign deals until Friday. With Monday’s new additions, combined with the deal for Westbrook, which will be officially completed later this week, the Lakers currently have eight players with guaranteed salaries for the upcoming season.