Lakers News: Four LA Free Agent Signings Now Official
NBA free agency started less than one week ago and the Los Angeles Lakers took full advantage of it.
Coming into the offseason, a big question for LA was the future of their key impending free agents, most notably Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura after each had breakout postseasons in the Lakers run to the Western Conference Finals.
The team agreed to deals with both, but neither side could actually put pen to paper until the NBA's moratorium ended.
That period came to a close on Thursday, and Reaves, Hachimura, and a couple new additions signed their new contracts, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
Reaves and Hachimura return to Los Angeles after signing a four-year, $56 million contract and a three-year, $51 million deal respectively after each played huge roles for the team during their playoff run.
Taurean Prince, who inked a one-year, $4.5 million contract, profiles as a great defender for Los Angeles and he should be a good addition off the bench this coming season.
Additionally, he's a great three-point shooter as well as he shot 38 percent last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that fills a need for a Lakers team that was lacking a quality deep threat.
For Jaxson Hayes, he hasn't yet fulfilled his potential after being drafted eighth overall in 2019, but the 23 year old still has plenty of time to fulfill that. For now, he can be another great rim protector for the Lakers along with Anthony Davis, as the young big man has averaged nearly a block per game over his career.
He comes to the franchise having signed a two-year, $4.6 million contract, so its certainly worth it for the Lakers to take a flier on him at that price.
One notable omission to this list is D'Angelo Russell, who hasn't officially signed his deal as of Friday morning.
Russell and the Lakers agreed to a two-year, $37 million contract early in free agency, good for $18.5 million per season, well below what the point guard wanted coming into this offseason, an asking price rumored to be around $25 million per year.
It should be a matter of time though before Russell's brought back into the fold, but as of now that piece of business remains outstanding.
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