Lakers sign Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas to 1-year contract, according to report

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas to a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He last played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish ACB League.

The Lakers were said to be seeking additional backcourt help at point guard, looking to add depth behind D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Huertas, 32, has averaged eight points and 3.8 assists through his seven-year career in Euroleague play.

Training camp is the next step for the Lakers' basketball operations team, giving them a chance to see the players they've compiled over the summer all together for the first time. Los Angeles has reached agreements with Jonathan Holmes and Michael Frazier after the first wave of free agency, still have Robert Upshaw on their radar, and now have a seasoned guard in Huertas to evaluate. The Lakers can only take 15 players into the regular season and currently have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, making for what should be a competitive environment.

It's been reported that the Lakers work with one of the most respected international scouts in basketball, and he happens to be stationed in Spain. For those who don't happen follow nternational play, here's a nice compilation from YouTube on Huertas:

The signing makes sense from a roster need standpoint if Huertas inherits the veteran point guard role that Ronnie Price manned last season. Marcelo won't be a college talent transitioning to professional play, which could help make for a smoother transition when he's on the court than trying to find another green prospect from the undrafted free agent pool they've been picking from.