While much of the Lakers’ roster has been turned over this offseason, the defending champions will return their stars, their coaches and many of the players who made them so potent last year.
The latest returning piece? The team’s wagging tongue.
Forward Jared Dudley will return on a one-year, $2.6 million veteran’s minimum deal, first reported by ESPN. The loquacious San Diego native acknowledged the signing himself on Monday afternoon, tweeting “I’m back,” in a nod to Michael Jordan’s famous 1995 fax machine announcing his return to the NBA.
On-court production is not Dudley’s primary value to the Lakers: He averaged just 1.5 points in 45 appearances last season and played only garbage time minutes during the playoffs.
But as a locker room presence, the 35-year-old has been one of the most valued teammates in the league. He’s commonly cited as one of the loudest and most respected voices on the team, and there’s very little that Dudley won’t personally weigh in on. His willingness to engage fans has made him one of the more popular Lakers disproportionate to his playing time. The 2020 title was the first of his career.
He joins Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Markieff Morris as returning Lakers to sign new contracts this offseason. Anthony Davis’ maximum deal to rejoin the Lakers is widely considered imminent.
This season could be more fraught than the last with the threat of COVID-19 having led to cancellations and spotty rosters in many other pro and college sports. Depending on how the season unfolds and with positive coronavirus tests seemingly a greater risk than in the bubble environment, teams could be leaning deeper into their rosters. The Lakers only have a two-month gap between seasons, leading to speculation that stars and veterans could also play reduced minutes in the early slate of games.
Dudley did start 25 games while averaging 20 minutes per game for the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018-19 season. He’s a career 39 percent shooter from 3-point range.The Lakers’ hard salary cap will already make adjustments tight. The team has filled just 12 of its 15 roster spots, and once Anthony Davis signs his anticipated max deal, the Lakers are expected to have just one minimum salary slot remaining. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that based on pro-rata salaries, the Lakers could add another minimum contract later in the season.
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