The one that got away.
The Lakers let Kent Bazemore walk in the summer of 2014; two years later they tried to pry him away from the Atlanta Hawks and failed. Bazemore decided to return to the Hawks leaving the Lakers like how they let him go two years ago. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Bazemore agreed to a four-year 70 million dollar contract.
Hawks have reached a deal with Kent Bazemore, 4 years/70 millions according to sources
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 2, 2016
The Lakers tried their hardest to make up for their mistake by offering Bazemore a larger contract than the Hawks.
Kent Bazemore takes four years, $70M, turning down four/$72M from Houston and the Lakers, to go back to the Hawks, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 2, 2016
Bazemore was easily one of the top wings available in free agency. Bazemore is a long and athletic player that can either play the shooting guard or the small forward position. During his two seasons at Atlanta, he averaged 8.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in only 22 minutes of play. His per 36 numbers are pretty solid (13.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists). He will be only 27 years old entering next season.
It was clear that the Lakers had Bazemore in their sights, but sadly the feeling was not mutual. Bazemore was a great and fun player when he was on the Lakers, although he didn’t sign with Los Angeles. I’m glad that he got rewarded from the Hawks.
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