LA Lakers Rumors: Metta World Peace To Sign With Lakers Again?


L.A. Lakers rumors about a reunion with Metta World Peace are certainly getting interesting. The Los Angeles Lakers are currently considering offering him a one-year contract for the 2015-16 NBA season. A report from Yahoo! Sports confirms talks between the Lakers and World Peace’s representatives have already taken place. Though a deal hasn’t been agreed upon yet, it would certainly be an interesting move for the franchise to make.

With a lack of depth at small forward, the Lakers could really use someone with good defensive capabilities coming off the bench. It has been reported that Kobe Bryant met the idea “with enthusiasm,” basically giving it a stamp of approval as far as the front office is concerned. It’s also worth noting that World Peace has been working out at the Lakers’ practice facilities, including game action against Julius Randle.

These L.A. Lakers rumors might be shocking to some fans of the team, but it could also be a move that helps the team a lot. Though the roster is deeper for the 2015-16 NBA season than it was last year, it still lacks depth at small forward and defensive intensity. A 35-year-old Metta World Peace might just be able to provide that. He would also likely be a very inexpensive addition, since there is no competition to sign him from other NBA franchises.

Last season, World Peace was playing in China after getting released by the New York Knicks. Before that, though, he played four strong seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers. He started 270 regular season games, as well as 41 postseason games. In the 2009-10 NBA season, World Peace even helped the Lakers to another championship, starting all 23 playoff games and averaging 36.5 minutes a night for the team. He played all those games beside Kobe Bryant in the starting rotation.

Although signing a player like Metta World Peace certainly comes with some baggage, he is also a player that could make opposing offenses take the Lakers’ defense more seriously. There are also things the young players on the roster could learn from the veteran, as he is a former Defensive Player of the Year who made four NBA All-Defensive teams in his career. A player doesn’t forget how to play defense, even if their shot isn’t falling like it once was. While these could be considered surprising L.A. Lakers rumors, beneath the surface, it actually makes a lot of sense.

[Image by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]

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