Report: Kendall Marshall signs with Lakers

The Lakers are now without Steve Nash, Jordan Farmar, Steve Blake, and Kobe Bryant, so if you can do math, that leaves Los Angeles without a healthy point guard. That has now changed. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers have come to terms on a contract with former Phoenix Suns’ point guard Kendall Marshall:

"Desperate to replenish their guard depth, the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to a deal with former NBA lottery pick Kendall Marshall, league sources told Yahoo Sports."

Marshall was the 13th pick in the 2012 draft, and he never really panned out in Phoenix. He was a big point guard who could pass the ball well when he was at North Carolina, but his skills were underdeveloped at the professional level, and the Suns gave up on him after just one year. They included him in a deal for Marcin Gortat to the Wizards, but they waived him before he ever suited up for the Wizards.

He was then claimed by the Delaware 87ers of the D-League, and he averaged 19.7 points and 9.6 assists in his stint there–including a triple-double in his first game. He played in just 48 games for the Suns last year, and his jump-shot was the reason for his lack of playing time. Marshall shot just 37 percent from the field, and an abysmal 31 percent from beyond the arc. He seems to have  improved his conditioning, and his offensive game is getting better, so he was on the radar for many NBA teams, according to Yahoo.

This isn’t a long-term fix for the Lakers, but if Marshall can run the pick and roll well, and bring some stability to the point guard position, then this can help the Lakers in the short-term. The details of the contract were not released.