Lakers sign Metta World Peace
By Bryan Arnott
After a year-long hiatus, Metta World Peace is returning to the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It’s an announcement that would make Metta World News. Metta World Peace has signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Yahoo Sports.
World Peace has spent the last two seasons playing basketball in Italy and China. He last played in the NBA with the New York Knicks during the ’13-’14 season.
News surfaced weeks ago that he was in contract discussions with the Lakers, but World Peace denied that. He will sign the contract on Thursday and undergo a physical on Friday.
A mentor to younger players such as Julius Randle and newly acquired rookie D’Angelo Russell
World Peace is expected to have a presence in the locker room as a mentor to younger players such as Julius Randle and rookie D’Angelo Russell, and will most likely start games on the bench in the small forward position.
World Peace played 29 games for the Knicks and only started one. He averaged a pedestrian 4.8 PPG and 2.0 RPG over 13.4 MPG. He has also played for the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers have a far different look coming into this season than last season. With acquisitions in Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass, Louis Williams and the previously mentioned D’Angelo Russell, they look as though they finally have some quality players to play on the court with Kobe Bryant. With a healthy Bryant and Randle added into the mix, the Lakers should be able to climb out of the cellar they found themselves in at the end of last season.
World Peace isn’t the acquisition that will take the Lakers to a championship contender level by any means, but he should play a key role coming off the bench. The Lakers will need him to step up and score baskets while they look to dial down the amount of minutes Bryant receives as he enters his 20th season in the NBA.
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H/T Yahoo Sports