Los Angeles Lakers: 2016 Offseason Grades
Yi Agrees
As first reported by ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Lakers are also bringing Chinese star Yi Jianlian back to the NBA. The deal only has $250,000 guaranteed, but holds a base salary of $1.1 million, an $8 million cap hit and could pay him up to $6.8 million with incentives thrown in.
Jianlian is mostly known for being an NBA disappointment after averaging 7.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game on 40.4 percent shooting during his five-year NBA stint.
Yi Jianlian averaged 26-9-2-2-1 with a 61% TS and 57% eFG last year in China. He made 37% of his threes. Granted, it's China, but still.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) August 17, 2016
Considering this seven-footer was called the next Yao Ming and taken by the Milwaukee Bucks sixth overall in the 2007 NBA Draft, Jianlian never lived up to expectations. But he’s also spent the last four years putting up big numbers overseas and now this summer in the Olympics in Rio.
He’s already 28 years old, but the Lakers aren’t competing for anything next season other than internal growth. Why not add a low-risk, potentially high-reward third string center like Jianlian, especially since he’d help keep Chinese fan support strong following Kobe’s retirement?
Next: Odds And Ends