After drafting Lonzo Ball as the second overall pick in this year's draft, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that their fortunes turn around in the next few years. Last season the Lakers finished 14th in the Western Conference with a miserable 26-56 record. The last time they reached the playoffs was during the 2012/2013 season, when they got swept by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Now, with Luke Walton as the head coach and Magic Johnson as the president of the basketball operations, the Lakers are showing signs of improvement. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball are shaping up to be one of the best, young, dynamic duos in the league.
On Wednesday, it was reported that another good guard is headed to Los Angeles.
Caldwell-Pope joins the Lakers
ESPN's Brian Windhorst announced that the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers and Caldwell-Pope reportedly agreed on a one-year contract worth $18 million.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Lakers, sources tell ESPN.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) 12. srpnja 2017.
Earlier this week, the Detroit Pistons renounced his rights and made him a free-agent. The Lakers went hard after Pope, and on Wednesday the news came out about his signing with the "Purple and Gold". Caldwell-Pope was the eighth pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
He spent the first four seasons of his career playing for the Pistons, and over the past few years he solidified himself as one of the better two-way guards in the league. Last season with Detroit, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 76 games played. He shot a career-high 35% from behind the arc, and also averaged 1.2 steals per game last season.
Pope will most likely be the starting shooting guard for the Lakers next season, and he will become a free-agent in the summer of 2018. If the things work out the way both sides are hoping to, Caldwell-Pope might be in Lakers uniform for more than one season.
Anthony Tolliver headed to Detroit
Shams Charania of The Vertical reported on Wednesday that the Detroit Pistons have signed a one-year deal with Anthony Tolliver.
The deal is reportedly worth $3.3 million, as Tolliver joins the Pistons in his 10th season in the league.
Free agent forward Anthony Tolliver has agreed to a one-year, $3.3M deal with the Detroit Pistons, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) 11. srpnja 2017.
Tolliver is a 6-foot-8 power forward with good shooting abilities. Last season with the Sacramento Kings, he averaged 7.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 39% from the three-point line. Tolliver holds career averages of 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
