Tag: Stanley Johnson

The 10 best remaining free agents the Boston Celtics can sign

Let’s take a look at some of the best remaining free agents who the Celtics could consider signing.

The Boston Celtics are coming off a disappointing campaign that ended in elimination by the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals just when Boston hoped to get back to the NBA Finals. Since then, team president Brad Stevens has shaken up the roster by bringing on star big man Kristaps Porzingis while letting go of Marcus Smart and Grant Williams.

The team has made depth signings with Oshae Brissett and Dalano Banton, but the Celtics still need to address a few key areas. Chief among them is a point guard able to step into a bigger role if needed, but Boston now also needs depth at the guard, wing, forward, and big positions as well with between one and three roster spots pending team decisions on non-guaranteed players.

Let’s take a look at some of the best remaining free agents who the Celtics could consider signing on minimum deals to such an end.

In this exercise, we have omitted players who will likely earn more than a minimum deal given the Celtics’ proximity to the second apron.

Five best players on buyout market Lakers should look at

Will the Lakers sign someone from the buyout market? If so, one of these five men could fit the bill.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ roster looks a lot better, or at least a lot more balanced and cohesive, after the three deals they made in the final hours before last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

At least on paper, they have more outside shooting, forward depth, a legitimate two-way center other than Anthony Davis and a point guard, D’Angelo Russell, who is a much better fit than Russell Westbrook.

But by no means do the Lakers have a complete roster.

They could use another legitimate 3-and-D wing, as well as one more center who can defend and rebound.

Now that the trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, teams are waiving players they deem superfluous, creating a buyout market that has some interesting bit players.

Los Angeles has one open roster spot available, and it could fill the spot with a player on the buyout market.

These five players could help the Lakers a little if they want to sign with the Purple and Gold.

What’s next for the Lakers after trading for Patrick Beverley?

HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan on what’s next for the Lakers and Jazz after Patrick Beverley is traded for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson

The Lakers are set to acquire Patrick Beverley from the Jazz in exchange for Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Both teams have long been anticipated to make big trades this summer. For now, both teams make a smaller deal. Perhaps we are closer to them realizing trades for their respective All-Stars in Russell Westbrook and Donovan Mitchell.

Below is a look at the at the trade between the Lakers and Jazz means for both franchises.

Breaking: Lakers to acquire veteran guard Patrick Beverley

The Lakers have reportedly swung a trade to land veteran 3-and-D guard Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in great need of reinforcements after going through what has been widely considered their worst season ever.

L.A. was expected to contend for the NBA championship after trading for Russell Westbrook last summer. Instead, it plunged to a 33-49 record and the indignity of missing the play-in tournament.

As the season went on, it seemed team morale only grew worse and worse, especially amid reports of discontent between Westbrook and the rest of the team.

But now, the Lakers are taking a step in the right direction by acquiring Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz for Talen Horton-Tucker.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has reported the trade also has forward Stanley Johnson going to Utah.

It may not be a big step in the right direction, but it is a step nonetheless.

Beverley, 34, will help fortify what was a weak perimeter defense for the Lakers last season. He has also been a strong 3-point shooter throughout his 10-year pro career.

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Perimeter defense and 3-point shooting have been arguably the team’s two biggest weaknesses.

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Lakers exercise options on Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel

Frontcourt players Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel will stay with the Lakers.

Two midseason pickups who emerged as serviceable role players will remain with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The team has picked up the contract options of forwards Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel, paving the way for both to wear the Purple and Gold next season.

Johnson was originally signed to multiple 10-day contracts starting in December when the team was ravaged by injuries and players being placed into the NBA’s health and safety protocol.

Although he lacks competent outside shooting skills, he proved a decent defender, and his energy and youth were sorely needed on a roster that was one of the NBA’s oldest ever.

Johnson, a Southern California native, was a former lottery pick in 2015. Although he is unlikely to achieve the production expected from such a player, he can be a solid role player for L.A. if he improves his 3-point shooting.

Gabriel, an undrafted 6-foot-9 man, was picked up by the Lakers late in the schedule. He, too, is raw offensively, but he showed the ability to be a good rebounder, box out and finish around the hoop when set up by his teammates.

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Lakers: Stanley Johnson is with trainer who transformed Alex Caruso

Stanley Johnson, one of the Lakers’ more recent additions, has hired a trainer who can do wonders for his offensive game.

When he was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers in late December, Stanley Johnson gave them some much-needed defense, youth and energy at a position that they badly needed depth at.

The 6-foot-6, 240-pound forward was so promising that after giving him a series of 10-day contracts, the Lakers signed him for the rest of the season and for the 2022-23 campaign.

His offensive game is somewhat raw, and his 3-point shooting has left lots to be desired.

But now, it looks like he’s already not only putting in the needed work to improve in those areas, but he’s doing it the right way.

Johnson has hired a trainer who helped turn Alex Caruso from a fringe player into a valuable role player who got paid handsomely last summer (unfortunately, it wasn’t the Lakers who did so).

Via Lake Show Life:

“Caruso made the necessary improvements to his game while with the Lakers to become arguably the most important role player on the team,” wrote Jason Reed. “While he was not a super dynamic offensive player, he was one of the best defensive guards in the league and went from a 33.3% three-point shooter in 2019-20 to a 40.1% three-point shooter the following season.

“To make these improvements in shooting the basketball, Caruso trained with shooting coach Jordan Lawley. Johnson is seemingly following in Caruso’s footsteps as he too is training with Lawley this offseason.”

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If Johnson simply becomes an average 3-point shooter next season, which would mean hitting about 36 percent of his attempts from downtown, his value to the Lakers will go up significantly.

Hopefully, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel are putting in similar work this offseason.

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Lakers player season grades: Stanley Johnson

Our final analysis of Stanley Johnson’s performance this season.

In the early stages of the 2021-22 season, the Los Angeles Lakers had a serious lack of serviceable depth in the frontcourt.

Once the injuries started to pile up and numerous players were sidelined in the COVID-19 health and safety protocol, the team signed forward Stanley Johnson to a series of 10-day contracts starting on Christmas Eve.

Johnson was once a lottery pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2015 NBA draft, but he had failed to pan out while playing for three teams.

Shortly after coming to L.A., he started to show what he was capable of, and it seems he has found a home with the Lakers, at least for the time being.

Young role players have given Lakers a shot in the arm

Three unheralded fringe players have helped the Lakers look tougher and more energetic, not to mention younger of late.

When the roster for the 2021-22 Los Angeles Lakers was assembled, it made them one of the oldest teams in NBA history. Nine players were older than 30 and five were 35 or older.

Some on the team, including LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, its two oldest players, insisted their advanced age wouldn’t be a problem and it would actually help.

Well, it has been a problem. Multiple players, including forwards Trevor Ariza and Carmelo Anthony and center DeAndre Jordan, proved washed up or close to it.

But lately, there has been a change in Lakersland. Jordan was waived. Ariza is in the doghouse, and head coach Frank Vogel has been giving major playing time to three young players who, when the season started, looked like fringe NBA players at best.

It has taken a while, but the team as a whole has shown better energy and toughness in recent days. They defeated the Toronto Raptors, a squad that has been hot the last two months, on Friday, then beat another playoff-bound team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Monday.

Even when L.A. lost to the struggling Washington Wizards on Saturday, it looked very good for most of the first three quarters of the contest.

Report: Lakers to sign Stanley Johnson to two-year deal

The Los Angeles Lakers are keeping Stanley Johnson for the remainder of the season.

The 10-day carousel is over for Stanley Johnson. The Los Angeles Lakers will sign the 25-year-old forward to a two-year deal Thursday, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The second year of the deal is expected to be a team option so the Lakers can maintain flexibility for next year’s roster. Roster flexibility was the reason Johnson signed as many 10-day contracts as allowed before he got the last spot on the 15-man roster.

Johnson has become a staple in the rotation and even started and closed the game against the Brooklyn Nets, the first game he played alongside Anthony Davis.

Also according to Wojnarowski, the Lakers tried making trades around the margins but ultimately settled for inking Johnson to a guaranteed spot:

Players like DeAndre Jordan and Kent Bazemore who don’t contribute to the team anymore are probably not going to stay around much longer with the trade deadline and buyout market approaching. But the key thing for the Lakers is securing Johnson for the rest of the season since he’s become vital to their system.

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Lakers player grades: LeBron James, Stanley Johnson lead win vs. Jazz

Here is how the Los Angeles Lakers graded from a strong win against the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers got back to .500 after a convincing win against the Utah Jazz, 101-95.

Los Angeles came into this game looking to bounce back after getting drubbed by the Denver Nuggets by 37 points, but playing against the Jazz (now 29-15) presented a difficult opponent to defeat.

However, the Lakers held their own in the first half and even posted an 11-point lead during the second quarter. But that lead didn’t last long, as Utah answered with a 32-20 difference in the third quarter.

The Jazz took a 10-point lead, but the Lakers showed their resilience. Stanley Johnson was the catalyst in the final quarter, where he scored 10 of his 15 points.

Los Angeles came back to win and are now 22-22 on the season. Here is how the squad graded: