Damian Jones

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Damian Jones to a two-year deal in free agency per Adrian Wojnarowski. Jones is likely to be a key piece in LA's rotation ...

We’ll see if Jones can deliver in what is expected to be an expanded role. The second year of the deal is a player option, which means Jones does view this as an opportunity to raise his profile before potentially entering the market again next season. The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Damian Jones to a two-year deal in free agency per Adrian Wojnarowski. Jones is likely to be a key piece in LA’s rotation under first-year head coach Darvin Ham next season.

Damian Jones reportedly signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, returning to L.A. after a brief stint in 2020-21.

The Kentucky alum averaged 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists for L.A. in 76 games last season, shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc. But it quickly turned out the Lakers used Jones as a gap-filler, waiting to snap up Andre Drummond from the buyout market. To add some verticality and lob threat, they signed Jones halfway through the year, who averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in eight games — starting six of them. Interestingly, he also made 34.5% of his triples — although on a very low volume, averaging just 0.5 3-point attempts per game. Jones likely reunites with the Lakers by signing a veteran minimum contract, but the player option in the second year definitely sweetens the deal. After leaving L.A., the center penned a contract with the Sacramento Kings until the end of the season and stayed in North California for 2021-22.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed center Damian Jones to a two-year deal at the beginning of 2022 NBA Free Agency.

The Lakers wanted to get younger, more athletic, and longer in the frontcourt and improve their rebounding and rim protection. Jones was productive over the course of 56 contests (18.2 minutes per game) for the Sacramento Kings in 2021-22. Jones, a 6’11, 27-year-old center, played eight games for the Lakers late in the 2020-21 season while on a 10-day contract. The second year is a player option, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (per Jones’ agent). They also want players behind Anthony Davis (and LeBron James) who can be available every game. Over those few weeks, he proved to be an effective rim-runner and athletic defensive presence.

Free agent C Damian Jones has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN.

Whether that becomes part of his game moving forward remains to be seen, but that development could help the Lakers space the floor horizontally. His presence also lessens the need for LeBron James to play the 5, though Jones has never averaged more than 18.2 minutes per game over a full season in his career. During the 2020-21 season, Jones played eight games for the Lakers on a pair of 10-day contracts.