According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers and free agent center Thomas Bryant have come to terms on a one-year deal.
Haynes doesn’t give any details on the financial terms, but it’s safe to assume it will be a minimum-salary deal given that Los Angeles has committed to using its taxpayer mid-level exception on Lonnie Walker and is ineligible to acquire a player via sign-and-trade without losing a significant amount of salary.
Later this month, Bryant, who will turn 25 years old, will start his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers after being acquired from Utah on draft night in 2017. With Los Angeles, the 42nd overall pick played in only 15 games as a rookie before being released in the summer of 2018.
Bryant played the following four seasons in Washington, D.C. after the Wizards claimed him off waivers, though his stint there was hampered by injuries. Bryant tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) early in the ’20/21 season after a productive 2019–20 season in which he averaged 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.1 BPG in 46 games (36 starts). Over the past two seasons, he only participated in 37 games as a result of the injury.
According to insiders, Bryant had interest from the Raptors, Celtics, Bucks, and Jazz this offseason after fully recovering from his ACL rupture.
The former Indiana Hoosier would be a fascinating possibility for a comeback going into the 2022–2023 season. With his new squad in Los Angeles, Haynes claims he will have the chance to secure a spot in the starting lineup.