The Los Angeles Lakers made the free agent signings of Jordan Farmar and Wesley Johnson official this past week.
The delay in signing Farmar was due to the Lakers having to work out a buy out of his contract with the Turkish basketball team, Anadolu Efes Istanbul. Farmar last played in the NBA in the 2011-12 season with New Jersey where he had the best statistical year of his career. Farmar averaged 10.4 points per game, shot 46.7 percent from the field and 44 percent from 3, all career highs.
Two days prior, the Lakers announced the signing of guard/forward Wesley Johnson.
“Wesley is a young, athletic player who runs the floor well and is an excellent defender,” said Kupchak. “He’s a developing player who we think could become a good NBA player for years to come. He’s also a great kid and we’re happy to add him to our team.”
Johnson was selected with the 4th overall pick out of Syracuse by the Minnesota Timberwolves back in 2010, but has never quite panned out as a player that was taken so high in the draft. Johnson comes in with pedestrian career averages of 7.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Johnson has been inefficient from the field thus far in his career, shooting 33.6 percent from behind the 3 point line and 40 percent overall.
Johnson played with the Phoenix Suns last season and was not impressive, at least initially. Johnson averaged 8 points and shot 40.7 percent from the field which is in line with his career averages. However, he came on late in the year as his time increased: In March he averaged 13.2 points per game and shot 41.5 percent from the field in 30 minutes per game. He improved his efficiency in April, shooting 46.2 percent and averaging 12.9 points in 27 minutes per game.
The Lakers are hoping that Johnson continues his recent surge in production and reaches the potential that was once expected when coming of college.
– Fern Rea
Follow me at @fullcourtfern and @raining3sdotcom
Follow Raining3s.com on Facebook.
Raining3s 