The Lakers wasted no time in making a splash in 2016 NBA free agency and have reportedly agreed to a four-year deal with center Timofey Mozgov
Right out of the gate in 2016 NBA free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers got on the phone and started negotiating with free agent center Timofey Mozgov. Things progressed quite quickly with reports right out of the gate that the Lakers were talking a long-term contract with the former Cleveland Cavaliers big man.
Things progressed even quicker as that long-term deal has reportedly been agreed upon.
As first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Lakers and Mozgov have agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract:
.@WojVerticalNBA: Lakers, Timofey Mozgov have agreed to four-year, $64 million deal.
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) July 1, 2016
Live: https://t.co/92ODzkg0ai
There’s certainly quite a bit to dissect when it comes to the Lakers agreeing to this deal with Mozgov. Obviously the big man fills one of the biggest needs for LA as they had no centers under contract entering free agency.
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Moreover, Mozgov is a serviceable NBA big man despite what the end of his time in Cleveland may have you to believe. He’s not going to take over games, but he can defend decently on the interior and can score and rebound consistently. He’s definitely not a bad egg to add to the Lakers roster.
On the other hand, though, that’s a lot of damn money to be giving to Timofey Mozgov.
There are going to be some monstrous deals handed out in 2016 NBA free agency with the rising salary cap and the premium that teams have to pay for certain positions, center being one of them. However, for a player like Mozgov that’s either at the end or nearing the end of his prime, locking him up to a four-year deal that pays him $16 million per years right away is a curious decision for the Lakers.
Maybe this is all part of the master plan for the Lakers moving forward in free agency. However, this is a questionable decision in regards to the contract for Los Angeles, no matter how quality of a player Mozgov can be in the frontcourt initially.