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Free-agent center Meyers Leonard to practice Friday for Los Angeles Lakers, league sources say Athletic Thursday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Leonard last played in January 2021, when he underwent season-ending shoulder and ankle surgery. He has been sidelined for nearly two years and was recently fully cleared to try out for an NBA team.
- In March 2021, Leonard was suspended for one week and fined $50,000 for using an anti-Semitic slur on-air. He later apologized and spent the past few years spending time with Jewish leaders and immersing himself in the Jewish community, something the league has been aware of.
- Leonard, who is 7-foot-1, has shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range over the past four seasons and averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds over seven seasons.
- The Lakers have been on the lookout for potential shooting and size, with Leonard and DeMarcus Cousins ​​slated for free-agent workouts on Friday.
AthleticInstant analysis of:
what this means for the lakers
The Lakers are looking to add a center in the short term before Anthony Davis returns from a right foot injury. Both Leonard and Cousins ​​will practice in Los Angeles on Friday, and they’ll need to address the need for stretch 5s that can soak up a few minutes in the paint.
As things stand, the Lakers’ only two reliable big men are Thomas Bryant and Wenyen Gabriel, leaving them with a thin frontcourt in some games. Leonard (career 39.0 percent 3-point shooter) can both pick-and-roll and spot-up from beyond the arc. Cousins ​​(career 33.1 percent 3-point shooter) is known for post-game and offensive rebounding, though he’s become a better shooter in recent years. Cousins ​​signed a one-year deal with the Lakers in the offseason before the Lakers won the championship in 2019, but tore his ACL while playing basketball and never played for the Lakers again.
Both players are more inclined towards the offensive end. Leonard has never been a rebounder or rim protector. Cousins’ defensive limitations have gotten worse in recent seasons — to the point where he’s been sidelined in some games — and after his multiple lower-body injuries, his remaining quickness and lateral quickness are on the defensive end. was weakened.
If one of those centers impresses, the Lakers could sign them to a 10-day deal and test them out. Under the most optimistic scenario, Davis is expected to return in about two weeks. Sterling Brown is currently on a 10-day contract with Los Angeles. — Buha
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(Photo: Isaac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
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