It’s official: the Los Angeles Lakers are formally signing former Washington Wizards center Thomas Bryant to a one-year deal.
The team’s plan to acquire Bryant was announced last week but there was some debate about it actually happening.
There was even speculation that another team was ready to swoop in an nab Bryant before the Lakers could.
Can confirm Thomas Bryant to sign with Lakers on one year deal. Bryant played for Lakers his rookie season. Feels has a chance to start at center.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 6, 2022
But Brad Turner has reported that it’s finally happening and Bryant is headed to LA.
He also added that there is a good chance that Bryant really steps it up for the Lakers and could start as center.
That’s actually not that surprising when you look at some of the stuff Bryant did in DC and the help that the Lakers need.
Back To LA
Bryant actually got his start in the NBA with the Lakers, averaging 1.5 pints, 1.1 rebounds, and .4 assists a game during 15 games in 2017.
The team is obviously expecting a whole lot more from Bryant when he returns.
There is reason for that: Bryant was heating up lately while playing for the Wizards and has increased his three-point percentage over the last few years.
The Lakers see Bryant as the sort of center on the rise, one who could come into his own even more in Los Angeles.
They will need just that because the team’s defense – among other things – was beyond lacking last year.
New head coach Darvin Ham is going to be tweaking with the roster, giving us a Lakers lineup that looks much different than what we saw last season.
Bryant could be a big part of that, with Anthony Davis sometimes as center and sometimes as power forward alongside him.
Bryant is coming back to Los Angeles but he’s coming back as a wildly different and more productive player.
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