The Los Angeles Lakers exercised the option for David Nwaba for the 2017-18 season.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a very important offseason ahead of them. They had a very strong 2017 NBA Draft, nabbing UCLA star point guard Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick. Their success didn’t stop there, as they also selected Utah power forward Kyle Kuzma and Villanova shooting guard, Josh Hart, in the first round. With their second round pick, the Lakers selected Indiana center, Thomas Bryant.
It was a good night for the Lakers, but there is still plenty of work to do. The Lakers added a lot of talent to the roster, but there are still some needs on the roster. One of those needs is in the backcourt at shooting guard.
The Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, taking away one potential option at shooting guard. Last season’s starter, Nick Young, decided to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. Finding someone to play alongside Ball in the backcourt will be a goal for the Lakers this offseason. One player could be David Nwaba.
Nwaba came out of nowhere for the Lakers last season. He signed two 10-day deals with the team and performed very well. He turned those performances into a contract for the remainder of the season, and will now be back for a second season.
It was announced today that the Lakers exercised Nwaba’s option for the 2017-18 season. Nwaba will make $1.3 million this season.
Lakers are exercising their team option on David Nwaba
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 28, 2017
The Lakers had until Thursday to decide if they wanted to retain Nwaba. Nwaba earned his spot on this team with his play at the end of the 2016-17 season.
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Nwaba played in 20 games for the Lakers, starting two of them. His statistics weren’t eye-popping, as he averaged 6.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.7 steals per game. But, it was the intangibles that Nwaba brought with him that the Lakers liked.
Nwaba is a very hard worker. He hustles whenever he is on the court, whether it be games or practice, and brings it defensively. The defensive end of the court is where the Lakers struggled last season, so he has a chance to carve out a role based on his performance on that end of the court.
His work ethic was on full display today. Despite having his option picked up, Nwaba was back in the Lakers facility working out this afternoon.
David Nwaba back at the Lakers' practice facility for more work on day Lakers exercised his team option
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 28, 2017
Nwaba will continue working hard to earn a role on this team for the upcoming season. He is ready to play in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Lakers, on a potentially loaded squad. Ball and all of the rookies drafted will be there, along with budding center Ivica Zubac and undrafted free agent, P.J. Dozier.
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That will be a fun team to watch. They will be flying up and down the court with a ton of athletic players. Nwaba will showcase why the Lakers picked up his option and why he has a chance to play significant minutes for the Lakers this upcoming season.