The Los Angeles Lakers signed Jared Dudley to a one-year, $2.6M deal, per Adrian Wojnarowski.
As free agency rolls on, the Los Angeles Lakers have added a quality veteran in Jared Dudley.
Jared Dudley has never put up big numbers in his career, but he is a veteran who can mentor players such as, Kyle Kuzma, Devontae Cacok, and Aric Holman. Throughout his career, Dudley has played with six teams, seven seasons with the Suns, two seasons with the Hornets, and one season with the Wizards, Clippers, Bucks, and Nets.
The Lakers will be Dudley’s seventh NBA team. Dudley has averaged 7.7 points, on 46.5% shooting, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, in 23.2 minutes of play. Jared Dudley becomes the Lakers second signing, after signing sharpshooter Troy Daniels yesterday.
Jared Dudley has made the playoffs for four seasons in his career. He will help the Lakers in big moments, as he showed last season with the Brooklyn Nets. Dudley did we’ll guarding Ben Simmons in the playoffs, and getting in his head.
Free agent Jared Dudley has agreed to a one-year, $2.6M deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2019
Dudley is the type of player who does not need the ball in his hands to make an impact. As mentioned earlier, he is not a player who puts up big numbers, but he is a savvy veteran. The Lakers need players that can stretch the floor, and Dudley can do just that. He is a power forward who attempted 2.6 three-pointers last season, and we could see Dudley in a different role than what we saw in Brooklyn.
Dudley’s role is still unclear, but he will probably be in a similar position as Rajon Rondo, except as a power forward. We saw Rondo huddling the players up in between plays last season, encouraging them and giving them guidance.
If the Lakers can bring Rondo back on a minimum deal as well, the Lakers locker room will have a couple of savvy veterans, who can mentor and encourage the rookies, as well as helping out LeBron James and Anthony Davis to make the playoffs.