The Los Angeles Lakers have made a flurry of moves this offseason after losing Dwight Howard and after adding Nick Young, Chris Kaman and Wesley Johnson, the team made their deal official with guard Jordan Farmar, who is returning to the team after playing abroad.
News of the deal came out last week and now Farmar officially joins the Lakers after spending time with the team earlier in his career. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Farmar joins on a one-year minimum contract for next year and the team also could take a look at recently released star Mike Miller, although his salary could be too much for the team to handle. The report says that the Cleveland Cavaliers have strong interest in the guard, as he showed over the past three seasons that he is a valuable option on a championship squad.
Farmar returns to the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2006 and he played four years with the team and went to the Finals multiple times before playing with the Nets and abroad. During the 2010 season he averaged 9.6 points and a career-high 5.0 assists for the team and he also was solid the following year while averaging over 10 points and ranking in the top part of the league in three point field goal percentage, something that the Lakers are hoping can continue this season.
Farmar later went to Maccabi Tel Aviv during the NBA lockout in 2011 before coming back to play for the Nets and he also played with a team in Turkey last season while averaging 13.8 points on .397 shooting from behind the arc, 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 29.4 minutes in nearly 30 games played in the Euroleague. Farmar should be a solid option from the bench and now the Lakers have set themselves up well salary cap wise for next summer, as the team has a number of players on contracts that will be done with after this season.
The Cavaliers have targeted Miller after his release from the Heat and while he is owed $6.2 million next season, the Cans could make him an offer to get him before he clears waivers and becomes a free agent. Miller has some injury concerns and the report said that the Rockets likely would make a play for him as well if he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Last season he played a huge part in the back to back championships for the Heat and he would join Andrew Bynum as the big additions for the Cavs. Last season he played in nearly 60 games and was solid off the bench and he would likely play a similar role with the Cavaliers if they sign him,
Farmar will probably continue to play point guard along with Steve Nash and Steve Blake and he also could play shooting guard depending on how long it takes Kobe Bryant to come back from his injury. The team now adds Farmar to the roster along with Bryant, Nash, Pau Gasol, Blake, Jordan Hill, Jodie Meeks and Chris Kaman.