Signing Christian Wooden performed completely into the Lakers’ palms and extra importantly, meant that the franchise stored their promise to considered one of their largest stars – Anthony Davis.
Davis performed 99 p.c of his minutes at heart final season however this isn’t one thing he wished to proceed doing, NBA insider Dave McMenamin defined.
“Wooden tweeted that it had “all the time been my dream” to play for the Lakers,” McMenamin wrote. “It seems his dream coincides with the needs of L.A.’s most necessary participant: Anthony Davis.
“Sources advised ESPN that Davis made it clear to the group he wished to have extra help at heart so he wouldn’t must play a lot 5 in the course of the common season.”
In addition to signing Wooden to a vet minimal two-year deal, the Lakers additionally added NOLA’s Jaxson Hayes to the combination, which creates extra alternatives for AD to play at his most well-liked energy ahead place.
Clearly, the Lakers love Davis in any place he performs on the court docket, since his time at heart final season earned him a a three-year, $186 million extension this offseason – regardless of his rocky damage historical past.
The purple and gold recruited nicely this offseason after signing newcomers Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish.
However many Lakers followers would agree with McMenamin when he says that crucial strikes LA made have been those to retain final 12 months’s success tales.
“Along with extending Davis, they re-signed the younger trio of Austin Reaves (4 years, $56 million), D’Angelo Russell (two years, $37 million) and Rui Hachimura (three years, $51 million),” McMenamin mentioned. “That core helped L.A. go 18-6 by means of the tip of the common season, play-in event and first two rounds of the playoffs. Add a wholesome and rejuvenated LeBron James for his twenty first season, and there are many causes for optimism in Lakerland.”
