As the Los Angeles Lakers round out free agency and look toward training camp, Johnathan Williams is the latest to reportedly sign a deal
Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been buzzing as the team has recently completed a number of minor deals to fill empty roster spots. The team is allowed to bring up to 20 players to training camp, and the latest addition is undrafted rookie Johnathan Williams out of Gonzaga University.
Williams appeared in all seven of the Lakers’ Las Vegas Summer League games en route to their championship loss. In that time, he averaged 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.
While the stats do not impress right away, Williams was able to make an impression with his abilities off the stat sheet, an important factor in today’s NBA. Oh, and he had a few highlight reel plays including posterizing his former Zags teammate Zach Collins in the Summer League championship game.
Williams was a career 51.1 percent shooter in college. He transferred to Gonzaga from the University of Missouri before the 2016-17 season. As a member of the Zags, he earned First Team All-West Coast Conference honors. He was also named to the All-WCC First Team in 2017, and was previously a member of Team USA in the FIBA U16 and U17 World Championships in 2011 and 2012, winning two gold medals in the process.
OFFICIAL: Lakers Sign Johnathan Williams https://t.co/q06Oqw3dxK
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 21, 2018
Williams is joined in training camp by recent Lakers’ signees Joel Berry II out of the University of North Carolina and Jeffrey Carroll from Oklahoma State University. The signing marks the 19th out of the 20 available for the Lakers. With all 15 of their guaranteed NBA contracts locked up, and with Alex Caruso commanding one of their two-way contracts, the Lakers only have one more two-way deal to offer.
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That lucrative contract is going to go to whoever makes the biggest impression in training camp, which starts Sept. 25.
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The Lakers’ first taste of preseason action begins on Sept. 30 in San Diego, Calif. which will give Williams, and the other new additions, their chance to show why they deserve to split time between the G-League affiliate South Bay Lakers, and up to 45 games in the NBA.