Lakers Officially Sign Guard Lou Williams and Forward Brandon Bass
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The Los Angeles Lakers have signed reigning sixth man of the year Lou Williams, and former Celtics forward Brandon Bass to multi-year contracts.
it's official #LALakers pic.twitter.com/Q5YooSs5YR
— Brandon Bass (@bestbetbass) July 9, 2015
Details of the contracts are not yet known, but sources can confirm that both deals are for multiple years. The Lakers had previously announced the signings during the moratorium period where they could not actually sign any players, but today the organization made both signings official.
Williams, who played for the Raptors last season, averaged 15.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists off the bench. He won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and surprisingly did not receive an offer from the Raptors to return to Toronto. Prior to last season with the Raptors, Williams played two seasons in Atlanta, and then seven seasons in Philadelphia.
His 15.5 points per game last season was a career high. Bass spent the past four seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he averaged 10.6 points per game last season. In his first season with the Celtics in 2011, he averaged a career high 12.5 points per game game and 6.2 rebounds per game. Bass spent two years in Orlando, Dallas, and New Orleans before his stint with the Celtics.
The 30-year old played his college ball at Louisiana State University and was a 2nd round draft pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Bass has was very durable for the Celtics, playing no less than 81 games in each of the last three seasons.
Bass will give the Lakers depth at the power forward position after declining Jordan Hill's option, and losing Ed Davis to Portland in free agency.
Williams will help bolster a back court that already has Kobe Bryant, Jordan Clarkson and 2nd overall draft pick D'Angelo Russell. Bass met with Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak today to sign his contract, while Williams also signed his contract today at the Lakers facility in El Segundo.
.@TeamLou23 signs on that dotted line. #GoLakers pic.twitter.com/8FkGX6eOdJ — Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 9, 2015
