Lakers add youth to open free agency.
After a flop season of being the oldest team in the NBA, The Lakers looked to establish youth in their roster, adding a younger core for their stars at the start of free agency.
The Lakers signed former first-round selections Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr. to one-year contracts, according to The Athletic. Damian Jones, a center who played for the Lakers in 2020–21, was also given a two-year contract with a player option. Juan Toscano-Anderson, a 6-foot-6 wing who recently won a championship with Golden State, also agreed to a minimum contract, according to Yahoo Sports.
With Walker IV (23) and Brown Jr. (22), the Lakers continue the pattern they set when they signed Malik Monk last year, signing first-round choices in search of larger contracts the following summer. Jones, a fan favorite after only eight games for the Lakers, provides a 7-footer with defensive instincts and explosiveness on offense in the pick and roll. Similar to his new head coach Darvin Ham, Toscano-Anderson is a tough-minded wing who pushed his way into the NBA after playing overseas ball and offers versatility where it is needed.
Walker IV, the most expensive of the new acquisitions ($6.5 million in taxpayer mid-level exception), joins the team after a four-year run with San Antonio, where he averaged 12.1 points in 70 games (six starts) last season. Despite having a low percentage from three last season, Walker IV has shown he can be consistent from three, shooting over 35% in three out of four years in the NBA.
The 29-year-old Toscano-Anderson played a supporting role for Golden State for three seasons, averaging 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds, but because of his links to the Bay Area and tough persona, he won over the fans. Before the Warriors signed Toscano-Anderson to a two-way deal, he played professionally in Mexico, becoming the first player of Mexican descent to win an NBA title in league history.
After being picked with the 15th overall pick in the 2018 draft, Brown Jr. has already played for Washington and Chicago in six seasons. With career averages of 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, Brown’s strongest value would probably be on defense, where his 6–6 stature and 6–10 wingspan should be helpful in Ham’s defensive scheme.
Jones, a fan favorite for the Lakers in 2020–21, averaging 5.4 points while going 16 for 17 from the field in that span. The 27-year-old Jones played for the Sacramento Kings last season, averaging 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Many of the additions come from a well-known source: Klutch Sports, the agency that counts Lakers players James and Davis as two of its most important clients, represent three of the four new additions: Walker IV, Brown Jr., and Toscano-Anderson.
