Luol Deng may not have been one of the most-sought after free agents this year, but the Los Angeles Lakers still made a move on him early in the summer to secure his services.
With already 12 seasons under his belt, the team felt that the 31-year-old is the addition they needed to bring in; a veteran presence to their young core.
The hefty pay certainly made it easier for the two-time all-star to sign with them, but even before the offer was made, Deng was already intrigued with moving to L.A. after finding out that Luke Walton has been named the Lakers' head coach. He believes he can thrive in his system because of his defensive skills and ability to stretch the floor.
Another reason Deng was pursued by the storied franchise was for him to start at small forward to ease some pressure off the second overall pick of this year's draft, Brandon Ingram, as he gets acclimated to the NBA grind. Having started his professional career at a young age as well, he may just be the perfect mentor to his fellow Duke Blue Devil.
Speaking to The Orange County Register's Mark Medina, the 6-foot-9 forward showed a lot of excitement about what this season holds for him and the Lakers.
“I was really excited about the system and also the role that I would play. I’m able to play as hard as I can on the court and lead these guys, while also being a voice in the locker room.”
“The goal is to get in shape by the time the season starts, and to get guys to recognize what I can and can’t do on the floor and vice versa. It’s all about getting the team better.”
“He’s new to coaching, but he has a positive mindset. The way he coaches, he really respects players and demands respect back.”
After losing Kobe Bryant to retirement, the Lakers are now officially in rebuilding mode. But with Loul Deng becoming a part of their team, the hope is that he can help speed up the process to make the team contenders once again.
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