Metta World Peace could return to the Lakers for the 2016 season, but he will have to compete again for a spot on the final roster.
If you are a Lakers fan, this isn’t dejavu. The multitude of fans on the Metta App got their wish; Metta World Peace has reportedly reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Lakers organization for the upcoming 2016-2017 season this week according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Metta spent his summer playing and coaching his Drew League team The Pandas and earlier this summer, we were fortunate enough to catch up with his teammate, Kaimyn Pruitt who’s playing professionally in Germany.
Pruitt talked about how he learned a lot from playing with MWP, who showed that he still has tons of game left in him even at the age of 36. Here’s what he had to say about playing with Metta:
There are plenty of fans who don’t want veterans on the team. They want a purely young team who will all grow up together in the Lakers organization. But that’s not what always makes a great team, just look at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Without former Arizona Wildcats Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson, maybe the team wouldn’t have had the same success.
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As we reported last season, Metta is good friends with Luke Walton — the two played together on the 2010 Championship team. So they both know what it feels like to win a championship in a Lakers uniform. Metta and Luke can both point up to the window to the trophies and tell the players about the good ol’ days and hopefully help translate it to the present.
Every team needs an experienced NBA veteran on their team. The majority of these young players have already spent a season with the man who goes by Peace. Thus he is no stranger to the team and has reportedly even been working out with the team on a daily basis.
Although MWP didn’t contribute much to the score, his defense helped propel the team when the energy level dipped. This season he will be competing with undrafted rookies Zach Auguste and Julian Jacobs, and former Bruin forward Travis Wear for a final roster spot.
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Walton has surrounded himself with coaches who he has deep relationships with, so it is only fitting that he gives his friend and fellow Champion a chance to prove himself.