Free-agent guard JR Smith signed a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for the remainder of the season, the team announced on Wednesday.
Smith and The Lakers have discussed a deal since departure guard Avery Bradley gave up on the seasonal restart on June 23.
Smith, 34, has not played NBA since November 2018 with Cleveland Cavaliers.
Smith worked for the Lakers in February before the team signed guard Dion Waiters. Guards Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will largely carry the weight after Bradley’s departure, with the waiters expected to provide further depth in the defense zone. Rajon Rondo is another veteran guard on the Lakers bench.
Smith has played 15 NBA seasons since New Orleans enlisted him in 2004 from St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey. He also made a stop in Denver and New York. He won an NBA title with LeBron James and the Cavaliers in 2016 and won the NBA Sixth Man Award in 2013 with the Knicks.
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