In a day that saw the Lakers fly into action, they did miss out on one key young free agent as Kent Bazemore signed with the Atlanta Hawks for $4 million over two years.
ESPN sources say Kent Bazemore is headed to the Atlanta Hawks on a two-year, $4 million deal
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 12, 2014
Bazemore quickly became a fan favorite due to his athletic and energetic play style. After a trade-deadline deal sent him from Golden State to Los Angeles, he became an instant-impact player, putting up career high numbers.
Over 23 games, Bazemore averaged 13.1 points and shot 45% from the field. Given a career high in minutes, Bazemore showed he could be a productive contributor. Brought in via trade for Steve Blake with MarShon Brooks, the duo made an immediate impact in their first game as they helped the Lakers to win over the rival Boston Celtics.
The Lakers made a late push to resign Bazemore, but their efforts were for naught. Despite holding his Early Bird Rights, allowing them to go over the cap to sign him, the Lakers couldn’t come to a deal with the Old Dominion product.
With Bazemore gone, Mitch Kupchak and company may now move to retain Xavier Henry, who had a similar play style to Bazemore but suffered injuries during the season.
Let us know down below what your favorite Kent Bazemore memory was in his short time in purple and gold.