Believe it or not, but the Los Angeles Lakers signing Metta World Peace thing isn’t going away. Actually, it seems like it’s becoming a reality sooner rather than never.
He’s been working out at Lakers’ facility, which should mean getting closer to a one-year deal. World Peace played for the Lakers from 2009 to 2013, but was released through the amnesty clause before the 2013-2014 NBA Season. Since then he’s played for the New York Knicks and then went overseas, playing in China and Italy.
He won one championship with the Lakers (2010) and was averaging 4.8 points per game during his 29-game stint with the Knicks in 2013-2014. He’s 35 and probably still in shape, but just how good is he as a basketball player?
If the Lakers think he can add to them on both ends of the floor, than the hopes for next season can’t be too high. With the Lakers planning on more small-ball basketball, World Peace could fit in as a power forward, where the Lakers are pretty capable: Brandon Bass, Julius Randle and probably some minutes for Ryan Kelly and others. At small forward there’s Nick Young (who Byron Scott hates) but Kobe Bryant is probably going to get minutes there as well, maybe more than in any other position.
Adding World Peace, at least to the preseason extended roster (assuming his deal isn’t guaranteed) won’t really change anything. He’s not the kind of veteran with some special locker room presence, at least not a positive one. But it seems he’s still hungry for the game of basketball after 15 seasons of NBA basketball, and wants to make the Lakers his final stop. They’re willing to accommodate him, although it’s probably not going to end up with him getting too many minutes.