Silver Screen and Roll - Lakers free agency news, updates and moreA Blog devoted to Lakers News, Commentary, and Analysishttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/13178/silver-fave.jpg2013-08-26T14:59:56-07:00http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/rss/stream/42468832013-08-26T14:59:56-07:002013-08-26T14:59:56-07:00Jamison joining Clippers
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<p>Antawn Jamison is officially leaving the Lakers and joining the Clippers</p> <p><span>Antawn Jamison</span> was not expected to make a return to the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, and the veteran forward has agreed to terms with the <a href="https://www.clipsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Clippers</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne/status/372111275238518784" target="_blank">reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles</a>. The deal will be a one-year, veteran's minimum contract, <a href="https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/372113107205644288" target="_blank">according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports</a>. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> had also expressed interest in signing Jamison.</p>
<p>The Clippers met with Jamison through the summer, including a dinner meet with head coach and senior vice president of player personnel <span>Doc Rivers</span>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/8/16/4626836/los-angeles-clippers-news-lamar-odom-antawn-jamison-free-agent">The team was reportedly waiting for a decision</a> to come from <span>Lamar Odom</span>, who players had lobbied for in favor of Jamison.</p>
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<strong>Lakers news</strong>: <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/8/26/4661312/los-angeles-lakers-news-lamar-odom-free-agent-not-signing" target="_blank">Lakers have no interest in signing Lamar Odom</a>
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<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/BA_Turner/status/368182290020462593">Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports</a> the Clippers had offered Odom a veteran's minimum deal, but talks had stalled as he wanted a larger contract. Odom's personal life has unraveled <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/8/26/4659406/lamar-odom-drug-use-los-angeles-lakers" target="_blank">as he allegedly struggles with a drug abuse problem</a> since the report from Turner on August 13.</p>
<p>Jamison averaged 9.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in his lone year with the Lakers.</p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/8/26/4504442/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-antawn-jamison-clippersDrew Garrison2013-08-17T08:46:48-07:002013-08-17T08:46:48-07:00Lakers met with Amundson
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<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
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<p>Are the Lakers still interested in big man Lou Amundson after being linked to him near last season's trade deadline?</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> met with free agent big man <span>Lou Amundson</span> this week, <a href="http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/229423/Lou-Amundson-Meets-With-Clippers-Lakers" target="_blank">his agent told RealGM</a>. Amundson also met with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.clipsnation.com/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> as he seeks out a deal after being waived last season by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/">Minnesota Timberwolves</a> and signing short-term contracts to finish the year.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/2/12/3981852/nba-rumor-los-angeles-lakers-interested-in-louis-amundson">The Lakers were rumored to be interested in Amundson last season</a> near the trade deadline. <span>Pau Gasol</span> had recently torn his plantar fascia and <span>Earl Clark</span> had undergone an MRI on a sore foot, putting the team's frontcourt depth in question.</p>
<p>Amundson eventually signed a 10-day contract with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Chicago Bulls</a> before joining the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/new-orleans-hornets">New Orleans Pelicans</a> for the remainder of the 2012-2013 season.</p>
<p>The 6'9 big man spent two seasons with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> and <span>Steve Nash</span> but never played under coach Mike D'Antoni while with the team. Amundson has played for eight teams since joining the league in the 2006-2007 season and was an undrafted rookie.</p>
<p>He holds career averages of 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.</p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/8/17/4630904/los-angeles-lakers-news-louis-amundson-free-agentDrew Garrison2013-07-19T13:53:01-07:002013-07-19T13:53:01-07:00Farmar thrilled to be home, will focus on defense
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<p>The returning point guard is thrilled to be back in Los Angeles and wants to bring what he's learned on his journey since leaving to the team he always felt he belonged with. </p> <p><span>Jordan Farmar</span> has returned to his hometown team, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a>. <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/18/4536376/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-jordan-farmar-sign-free-agent" target="_blank">He has accepted a minimum contract</a> despite having over $10 million in guaranteed salary he was making overseas with his Turkish club Anadolu Efes.</p>
<p>"I wouldn't be playing for the minimum anywhere but the Lakers," Farmar told media during his introductory press conference Friday.</p>
<p>It was clear as he spoke about re-joining the Lakers that he was genuinely happy to come home. He spoke of how isolated he was overseas and how the 10 hour time zone difference made it difficult to communicate with his friends back home. Still, he kept an eye on the Lakers, watching his former team play until two or three in the morning.</p>
<p>It was Farmar's persistence to return home to Los Angeles that stood out to Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. Farmar and the organization had been in contact during the 2012-2013 season but were aware of the hurdles of prying Farmar away from his overseas club.</p>
<p>How was the long-shot possibility turned into a reality? Kupchak used the words persistent and aggressive when discussing the process Farmar underwent to get back to the purple and gold.</p>
<p>"Through Jordan's persistence. Not his persistence to make us desire to bring him back. Persistence that we can get this done," Kupchak said while discussing the complications of the buyout with Anadolu Efes.</p>
<p>"Simple was not very simple. It was complex," he added.</p>
<p>Farmar will return to wearing number one, a number he switched to after initially taking five when the Lakers drafted him with pick No. 26 in the 2006 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft">NBA Draft</a>. Farmar left Los Angeles in 2010 to join the New Jersey <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a>. Since leaving the states in 2012 he appreciates the back-to-back titles he captured with Kobe Bryant, <span>Pau Gasol</span> and <span>Andrew Bynum</span>. The weight of the prior success he was a part of was clear to him when his overseas teammates would ask him if they could see his rings just to admire them.</p>
<p>"For me its been a little bit of a journey. Last time I sat here I was 23 years old. I was part of back-to-back championship teams and looking for areas to grow in my life and career. I feel like I've done that since then," Farmar said of his experience since leaving L.A.</p>
<p>"I've grown tremendously as a person and a basketball player. The opportunity to get back here, which I consider home, is something I wouldn't let anything stop," he added.</p>
<p>When Famar was last with the Lakers he was a point guard in a system that doesn't involve very much point guard play, the Triangle. He has since played in New Jersey where they used plenty of screen and rolls, and he also had the opportunity to pick the brain of <span>Deron Williams</span>. In Turkey, however, Farmar stated pick-and-roll was "all [they] did."</p>
<p>Now, he'll have the chance to play under Mike D'Antoni, a coach who revolutionized the pick and roll game with <span>Steve Nash</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a>.</p>
<p>"Coming up and being young I dreamed of being in Mike D'Antoni's system," Farmar said of the new approach he'll be asked to take this time around in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Between all the talk of offense and systems, defense was also a point of discussion. The Lakers struggled defensively last season, particularly on the perimeter. Farmar falls into line with two other point guards who have consistently shown they can and will be beaten by any number of the star talent at the seemingly league-wide stacked position.</p>
<p>At 26, Farmar can provide young legs and athleticism not otherwise found in the point guard fold. Better, while overseas their focus was on the defensive end of the floor.</p>
<p>"Our coach over there preached [defense] every day. Don't get beat was his philosophy," Farmar said when discussing his desire to focus on the defensive side of the ball.</p>
<p>Providing defense can be Farmar's leverage in finding minutes on a roster with <span>Steve Blake</span> and Steve Nash to compete with. Nash turns 40 in February and could benefit from having his minute load monitored after a injury-filled 2012-2013 campaign for the Lakers.</p>
<p>If there's an area Farmar can differentiate himself from his contemporaries, it's on the defensive side of the ball.</p>
<p>"That's an area I really want to focus on and contribute in this time around. Be a pest and a nuisance... Defense is a will thing. Just wanting to get stops and wanting to be a problem is what it's all about," Farmar added as he discussed picking up players full court and applying pressure on ballhandlers.</p>
<p>The Lakers enter the 2013-2014 season with plenty of uncertainty around them. The roster is filled with one-year contracts and question marks on those who carried over. Can Kobe Bryant make a full recovery, and when will he actually get back on the court? Will Pau Gasol move more fluid on both offense and defense after undergoing surgery this summer to regrow tissue in his knees and alleviate pain? What does Steve Nash have left in the tank to give Los Angeles as he turns another decade older.</p>
<p>One thing that can be counted on, however, is the elation Farmar has about being back in a Lakers uniform.</p>
<p>"That's where I belong. That's where I felt most comfortable."</p>
<p><i>Quotes taken from</i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/lakers/live"> Lakers.com's live stream</a><i> of Jordan Farmar's press conference</i></p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/19/4539158/los-angeles-lakers-news-jordan-farmar-defense-press-conferenceDrew Garrison2013-07-19T12:00:55-07:002013-07-19T12:00:55-07:00Jim Buss can't repeat this summer
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<figcaption>Kevork Djansezian</figcaption>
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<p>The Lakers have made a handful of roster moves this summer since the departure of Dwight Howard. Jim Buss believes them to be fits, but filling out the team with journeymen one-year contracts won't be acceptable next summer. </p> <p>LAS VEGAS -- <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> vice president Jim Buss has been at Las Vegas Summer League since day one. He's watching games and can often be found surrounded by Mike D'Antoni and <span>Kurt Rambis</span>. He's keeping an eye on players like <span>Lazar Hayward</span>, <span>Chris Douglas-Roberts</span> and <span>Marcus Landry</span> who could potentially make the next step to becoming Lakers by receiving a training camp invite.</p>
<p>Fringe-NBA talent might be the only thing more readily available than free drinks around blackjack tables during summer league. The Lakers are combing over these prospects in hopes they can find another cheap option to add to their roster.</p>
<p>The Lakers have made their post-Dwight roster transactions while these hardly-known players fight for the chance to wear purple and gold, get a few pairs of Kobe's signature Nikes and lay claim to a few hundred thousand dollars.</p>
<p><span>Chris Kaman</span>, <span>Nick Young</span>, <span>Wesley Johnson</span> and <span>Jordan Farmar</span> -- your 2013 Los Angeles Lakers summer.</p>
<p>This summer was an episode of the Twilight Zone for the Lakers. A superstar center willingly walked away from the <i>80 degrees with a pretty swell breeze</i> of Los Angeles. Instead of going out on a shopping spree at the Beverly Center the Lakers were forced to go yard sale picking.</p>
<p><i>Sure</i>, that's a nice sports coat for the price but it's used, missing buttons and has a small hole on the elbow. In a worst case scenario it can be worn.</p>
<p>Welcome to the Lakers worst case scenario. Don't let anybody see that elbow, and you may want to get a hold of a lint roller as soon as possible.</p>
<p>"This is the first year we've had Mike D'Antoni. He came in at the beginning of the season last' year. We've had the time to start picking players that fit his system a little bit better, and I think Kaman is perfect fit," <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/video/games/lakers/2013/07/18/20130718-mil-lal-buss-interview.nba/">Buss said while being interviewed on NBA TV</a>.</p>
<div>The Kaman signing is a <i>fine</i> signing. For $3.2 million the Lakers are getting a player who -- by all intents and purposes -- <i>should</i> fit into the offense next to Gasol. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/7/15/4523576/mike-dantoni-la-lakers-dwight-howard-nba-summer-league-2013">Mike D'Antoni echoed that sentiment</a> when Silver Screen and Roll discussed the roster with him earlier in the week during summer league.</div>
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<div class="pullquote">We've been handcuffed. We basically can only offer the one-year contracts to keep that flexibility that we need desperately <span>-Jim Buss</span>
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<div>That doesn't make the take away the elbow holes or make the coat like new. It's being sold on a front lawn for a few bucks for a reason, which is all the Lakers have anyway. Match made a heaven, one could say.</div>
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<div>"We've been handcuffed. We basically can only offer the one-year contracts to keep that flexibility that we need desperately," Buss replied when asked about the limitations the collective bargaining agreement has placed on the organization. The trick for the Lakers isn't in finding a way to get the cap space they need on July 1, 2014. It's that they <i>desperately </i>need to fill it out with elite talent.</div>
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<div>The upside of these one year, minimum contracts? Players love to perform knowing a better contract is 82 games and the off chance of a few playoff games away. The Lakers have plenty of rotation minutes, and starter minutes, to fill out with these one-year additions. Time and time again the Lakers fall victim to losing players after they become a known entity in Southern California. The latest example is <span>Earl Clark</span>, who was under Mike Brown's radar prior to being fired five games into the season. Now, he'll join Brown with the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> to the tune of $9 million over two years. <span>Devin Ebanks</span> was ahead of him on the depth chart prior to his "breakout."</div>
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<div>"It kind of fell to us. There's players that need us. Kaman's kind of, the last two years, been under the radar. He needs to shine. It's a perfect spotlight for him. Take a one year deal. Get back going again. Same thing with Jordan Farmar. Nick Young same thing. Wesley Johnson basically same thing. You see the talent those four guys have. We got real lucky there. That's Mitch [Kupchak] working hard," Buss explained, acknowledging the motivational power of one-year contracts.</div>
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<div>The addition that could thrive, or dive, the most under Mike D'Antoni's tutelage is Nick Young. A known gunner without a conscience, Young now has the opportunity to play for the Lakers, something he called a "dream." Young will have plenty of opportunity to take aim at the hoop. More importantly, with only optimistic hypothetical timetables and no official date on Kobe Bryant's return, there's a lion's share of minutes waiting to be taken by the man known as Swaggy P.</div>
<p>"[Nick Young] can shoot the lights out, and we need shooters. Especially in this system. He's very athletic, he can sprint the floor. Another one that fit's D'Antoni's system perfectly," Buss said about the addition of Los Angeles native Young.</p>
<p>Former fourth-overall draft pick Wesley Johnson will join the Lakers. Another wing player who has enough rubber left around his rims to kick. The 26-year-old former lottery pick will join his third team in four years after being labeled a bust going into year four of his career.</p>
<p>Now, he could see significant minutes after seeing his time on the floor decrease each year while he played for both the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.canishoopus.com/">Minnesota Timberwolves</a>. From 26, to 22, to 19 minutes Johnson will now have a fresh start with a Lakers team low on what he represents -- youth, athleticism and maybe a drop or two of potential to extract. With a glaring hole at small forward, the Lakers will try to fill the gap left by <span>Metta World Peace</span> with some combination of Young, Johnson and Kobe Bryant once he returns.</p>
<p>"He came and worked out for us. He was sensational, he couldn't miss a shot. You can see how long he is and athletic. Another guy who fits the system," Buss said of adding Johnson to the fold.</p>
<p>"We're looking forward to it, D'Antoni likes the kid a lot. He's going to develop him. We might have a little sleeper there," Buss said. Likely something both Suns and Timberwolves executives have thought and said a few times over the last four seasons.</p>
<p>The last addition to the roster is Jordan Farmar. After spending time overseas he was ready to come home for a minimum contract. Farmar joins a crowded backcourt featuring <span>Steve Blake</span> and <span>Steve Nash</span>.</p>
<p>Farmar put up career numbers when he was last playing in the United States and could help D'Antoni stagger minutes for the Stevii, who could play together in the Lakers' backcourt as they did last season. Nash turns the big four-oh on February 7 after looking every bit 50 last season. Blake, on the other hand, has had a career filled with injuries and oddities since becoming a Laker. From chicken pox to parking lot spikes, <i>Steve Blake have it all</i>.</p>
<p>"I'm excited. He took a lot less money. He was making some very good money in Turkey. He just missed being a Laker. That's kinda the story of a lot of people, they want to be Lakers. We're happy to accommodate them," Buss said of returning-Laker Jordan Farmar.</p>
<p>"Jordan Farmar's going to fit real well with this system," Buss said. All four additions are expected to fit well into into D'Antoni's system, according the the vice president of personnel Jim Buss.</p>
<p>That's the challenge for Jim Buss as the new face of the Lakers front office. He needs people to want to be Lakers. This summer, Jordan Farmar, Nick Young, Wesley Johnson and Chris Kaman wanted to be <i>Lakers</i>. <span>Dwight Howard</span> did not.</p>
<p>Living under the shadow of a giant is no easy task. Performing with the city of Los Angeles watching your every move, writing about your every quote and magnifying every perceived failure makes this an incredibly difficult period for Jim Buss. This summer the Lakers can get away with filling out the roster with journeymen who might "fit the system" as much as they fit the salary structure. In a year, Jim Buss can't find himself sitting on NBA TV discussing the Chris Kamans and Wesley Johnsons that just inked deals for the legendary franchise.</p>
<p>With cap space and a fresh slate the process should be smooth for Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak to begin the first real push for the future. If there's anything to be learned between the day the Lakers traded for Steve Nash till now, though, it's the danger of banking on something that feels like a sure thing.</p>
<p><i>All quotes taken from </i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/video/games/lakers/2013/07/18/20130718-mil-lal-buss-interview.nba/"><i>NBA's interview with Jim Buss</i></a></p>
<p><i> </i></p>
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<li><a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/16/4527552/nba-summer-league-2013-chris-douglas-roberts-los-angeles-lakers">Lakers Summer League: Chris Douglas-Roberts trying to earn spot on Lakers</a></li>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/19/4537412/los-angeles-lakers-jordan-farmar-chris-kaman-free-agency-jim-bussDrew Garrison2013-07-18T21:14:34-07:002013-07-18T21:14:34-07:00Farmar coming back to Los Angeles
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/R8jFoYj0qICWCwWgzs7ArIaiaj0=/0x31:467x342/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16597201/gyi0060765067.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ronald Martinez</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jordan Farmar is putting on the purple and gold again.</p> <p><span>Jordan Farmar</span> has agreed to a one-year deal with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, <a href="http://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/130717_jordan_farmar" target="_blank">according to an official release from the organization</a>. Details of the contract are not available, but the deal is expected to be for the veteran's minimum.</p>
<p>Farmar has returned to Southern California, where he grew up, played college ball at UCLA and previously served as the Lakers' backup point guard. </p>
<p>The Lakers were linked to Farmar when free agency began on July 1. There was uncertainty regarding the finances involved with <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/9/4509870/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-jordan-farmar-signing" target="_blank">buying out the remainder of his contrac</a><a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/9/4509870/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-jordan-farmar-signing" target="_blank">t</a> with Anadolu Efes Istanbul in Turkey. Specifics behind the buyout were not released, though under the NBA's current CBA, the Lakers could pay up to $500,000 of Farmar's buyout.</p>
<p>Farmar last played with the New Jersey <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.netsdaily.com/">Nets</a> during the 2011-2012 season. He last played for the Lakers in 2010, and was a rotation player during back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.</p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/18/4536376/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-jordan-farmar-sign-free-agentDrew Garrison2013-07-15T13:07:46-07:002013-07-15T13:07:46-07:00Metta joining Knicks
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xRGi9y4aisqJ_6MAQvcSJRJSVZU=/0x146:4000x2813/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16438455/171865357.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Lintao Zhang</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Queensbridge native is headed home.</p> <p><span>Metta World Peace</span> has agreed to a two-year, $3.2 million deal to join the <a href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New York Knicks</a> after being amnestied by the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--knicks-reach-deal-to-sign-metta-world-peace-191304955.html" target="_blank">reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports</a>. World Peace did not receive any bids after being amnestied and cleared waivers.</p>
<p>Reports indicated that the Knicks were his preferred destination, but there was also a "list" of teams he would like to play for. The Queensbridge, New York native will be returning to the big apple to play at Madison Square Garden,</p>
<p>World Peace gives the <span>Mike Woodson</span> a player who can play both power forward positions. This is puts less pressure on <span>Carmelo Anthony's</span> defensive responsibilities. At just a portion of the mini-mid level this is a great signing for a team without many options to add talent in the next two years because of their salary structure.</p>
<p>World Peace had his best season as a Laker in 2012-2013, averaging 12.4 points, 5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.</p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/15/4523342/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-metta-world-peace-new-york-knicks-amnestyDrew Garrison2013-07-13T22:14:50-07:002013-07-13T22:14:50-07:00Wesley Johnson agrees to 1-year deal with Lakers
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hiELunOYvQV3MtzbnwDwyffwr68=/0x70:4000x2737/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16373567/20130528_mjr_su5_095.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Lakers have added another player to their perimeter rotation.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> have agreed to a one-year, veteran's minimum deal with <span>Wesley Johnson</span>, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan/status/356273095914426371">reports Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times</a>. Johnson was the fourth-overall pick in the 2010 <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-draft" class="sbn-auto-link">NBA Draft</a>. The Lakers will be his third team in four seasons.</p>
<p>The Lakers add Johnson to a core wing players featuring recently signed <span>Nick Young</span>, <span>Jodie Meeks</span>, and <span>Kobe Bryant</span>. Johnson can serve as a another insurance policy while the Lakers wait for Bryant to return from his Achilles injury. He can fill in at both shooting guard and small forward -- two positions that the Lakers need depth at going into the 2013-2014 season.</p>
<p>Johnson adds youth, athleticism and length to the Lakers' perimeter rotation. He is also one of the handful of players discussed in our free agent capsules, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/5/11/4321688/lakers-free-agency-2013-wesley-johnson">which can be read here</a>.</p>
<p>He averaged 8 points per game, 40% from the field, 32% three-point range and 2.5 rebounds per game.</p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/13/4521616/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-wesley-johnson-sign-free-agentDrew Garrison2013-07-11T22:20:26-07:002013-07-11T22:20:26-07:00World Peace amnesty is official
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I9a0geiAGic6zkZ6LBT3-DlChKQ=/1055x233:4000x2196/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16296093/136097830.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Harry How</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Lakers have cut ties with the eccentric forward.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Los Angeles Lakers</a> have officially waived small forward <span>Metta World Peace</span> under the amnesty provision and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/130711mwp_amnesty">released an official statement to announce it</a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/130711mwp_amnesty">Here's the full statement from Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It's tough to say goodbye to a player such as Metta, who has been a significant part of our team the past four seasons. For anyone who's had the opportunity to get to know him, it's impossible not to love him. He has made many contributions to this organization, both in his community work as well as in our games; perhaps no more so than in his clutch play in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals in helping to lead us over the Celtics in one of the greatest playoff wins in Lakers history. We thank Metta for all his contributions and wish him the best of luck in the future."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>World Peace was expected to be released, <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/8/4505462/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-2013-metta-world-peace-amnesty" target="_blank">as reported by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register</a>. The team could not make it official until July 10 and had until July 16 to finalize their use of the amnesty provision. The Lakers will save nearly $15 million by waiving World Peace.</p>
<p>In the meantime, recently signed Nick Young is "penciled in" as the starting small forward, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-waive-metta-world-peace-20130711,0,510395.story">according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times</a>.</p>
<p>World Peace will now go through the claim process as teams under the salary cap can place bids on him. The highest bidder can claim him, and the difference between the winning bid amount and $7.7 million he is owed by the Lakers will come out of Los Angeles' pocket.</p>
<p>If he clears waivers, <a href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/9/4508544/los-angeles-lakers-rumors-metta-world-peace-2013-new-york-knicks-amensty" target="_blank">World Peace has a list of teams he'd prefer to land on</a> with the New York Knicks expected to be his top destination.</p>
<p><i>- Drew</i></p>
<p><i>- Follow this author on Twitter <b><a href="https://twitter.com/DrewGarrisonSBN" target="_blank">@DrewGarrisonSBN</a></b></i></p>
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https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2013/7/11/4516628/los-angeles-lakers-news-2013-metta-world-peace-amnesty-officialDrew Garrison