The Lakers are locking up their roster ahead of the trade deadline.
This season has been up and down for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team tried to start out strong but it simply wasn’t working for them as there were too many issues early on when it came to chemistry. Since that time, the Lakers have maintained a mediocre record of 24-24, although the addition of Anthony Davis to the lineup will certainly help the team get by, moving forward.
With COVID-19 ravaging the roster, the Lakers had been signing numerous players to 10-day contracts. One such player was Stanley Johnson, who was a huge surprise for the team. He has been making some pretty solid contributions as of late, and fans have been impressed with his consistency as LeBron James looks for some good help.
In fact, Johnson has been so good with the Lakers so far, they have decided to make him a permanent fixture on the team. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Lakers have signed him to a two-year deal that goes all the way until 2022-23. The catch is that this contract includes a team option, which means they can choose to not give him the second year in free agency. Regardless, this is a pretty huge deal for Johnson who now gets a permanent home for this season.
Lakers had been discussing some two-for-one trades along the roster margins, but ultimately landed on keeping Johnson in 15th spot, especially because of his willingness to agree on a team option for year, per sources. That keeps some deal-making flexibility for LA this summer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 26, 2022
It remains to be seen how this signing will work out for them, however, if Johnson continues to showcase some consistency, then the Lakers definitely won’t be feeling any regrets.
