As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to stall on splurging in free agency as they await word on the status of Kawhi Leonard, the team decided to ink sharpshooter Troy Daniels to a one-year, $2.1M deal.
Free agent Troy Daniels has agreed to a one-year, $2.1M with the Lakers, agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Daniels gives the Lakers an elite shooter to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis and does not affect the team’s cap space.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 1, 2019
Daniels’ deal isn’t harsh on the Lakers so they still maintain the necessary financial flexibility to sign Leonard to a potential deal.
For a Los Angeles team that was 29th in three-point field goal percentage (33.3%) in the 2018-19 season, Daniels will give them a nice boost in the shooting department. As for anything else, Lakers fans shouldn’t expect much else from the 27-year-old.
Troy Daniels does one thing, and one thing VERY well. Thankfully that thing is exactly what the Lakers desperately need. And if for the minimum, which I expect it to be, solid get considering that great ability to shoot. Data courtesy of: @The_BBall_Index pic.twitter.com/F6GcJOQghe
— Alex Regla (@AlexmRegla) July 1, 2019
Daniels spent last season with the Phoenix Suns, appearing in 51 games. He shot 38% from downtown on roughly four attempts per game.
Grabbing Daniels for what is assumed to be the veteran’s minimum is smart for a Lakers team that currently has a barren roster and knows they must prioritize shooting to flank the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers will continue to play the waiting game with this summers most prized free agent: Kawhi Leonard.
Los Angeles preserving their cap space may indicate that they feel strongly about their chances of snagging Leonard from the North, but we’ve yet to receive any word that would suggest which way Leonard is leaning.
For the Lakers, their hope is that they are given an indication soon, as the free agent market continues to shrink.
Yes, a team led by a Leonard/James/Davis trio would be the hands-down favorite to win the NBA title, but they still want to be able to border their stars with cheap, but quality, trustworthy veterans.
Regardless of what Leonard decides to do, Troy Daniels should prove to be a valuable rotational shooter for the Lakers this year.
