The Los Angeles Lakers are slowly but surely putting together a firm roster. They most recently signed scoring guard Lou Williams and traded for big man Roy Hibbert, which a new ripple in the trade may ultimately see the Lakers unload one of their players to the Indiana Pacers.
According to multiple reports, the Lakers have now reached an agreement with forward Brandon Bass.
The Lakers came up empty the first few days of free agency since they were pursuing star players but have collected a nice group of complementary role players to solidify their roster over the past couple days.
The Lakers are looking to make other minor moves to clear cap space before revealing the terms of Bass' contract. However, they could use their room exception to obtain Bass if they choose to. As mentioned above, the Lakers may end up sending a player to Indiana in the Hibbert trade. One player who is a likely candidate to be moved is Nick Young, who is owed over $16 million for the next three years.
Bass, 30, is an undersized, yet hard working big man with a consistent face up jumper. The Lakers will become the 10-year veteran’s fifth team, as he has previously played for the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, and Boston Celtics. Last season for Boston, he averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds on 50 percent shooting in 23.5 minutes per game.
With number seven overall pick Julius Randle expected to make a full recovery next season, Bass figures to play backup to the 20-year old.
There may be a lot more moving pieces for the Lakers in the next few days. They are currently discussing a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks, who are seeking a point guard, involving Jeremy Lin. The Lakers sorely need a small forward and may either look to re-sign Wesley Johnson or poach one via trade.