The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly agreed on a contract with free-agent center Timofey Mozgov. According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is worth $64 million over a four-year span.
A look at Mozgov
Mozgov, 29, spent the last season and a half with the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game over the 2015-16 NBA season. The 7-foot-1 Russian becomes the first free agent to have come to terms on a deal since free agency officially began at midnight (ET) on July 1.
This massive deal is a product of the rapidly increasing market for free agents. Regardless of whether or not he may be the perfect fit for coach Luke Walton, GM Mitch Kupchak, and the rest of the Lakers organization, Mozgov will now be earning a higher salary than most top players at the center position.
Mozgov was originally signed by the New York Knicks in 2010 after going undrafted in 2008 and playing with Khimki Moscow in Russia. He and his three-year, $9.7 million were soon traded to the Denver Nuggets in the three-team blockbuster transaction that sent Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. During the 2014-15 season, the Cavaliers sent Denver two first-round draft picks to acquire Mozgov.
Los Angeles' new acquisition holds career numbers of 6.9 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game, and a 53.7 percent shooting clip from the field. The contract will become official on July 7, when players can begin signing deals.
Lakers looking to rebound from tough times of recent history
The Lakers struggled mightily last season. Center Roy Hibbert, who came over from the Indiana Pacers, was a major bust, and the team finished with a 17-65 record, good for last in the Pacific Division and second-worst in the entire league, with six more wins than the Philadelphia 76ers. The team has a promising young core of recent draft picks and acquisitions and with the chances of bringing in a marquee signing not very high this off-season, GM Kupchak is looking to build the perfect core for this team following the retirement of future-Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.