Last summer, after their blockbuster trade for Russell Westbrook, the Los Angeles Lakers were forced to fill out their roster with aging veterans, as they had no salary cap space and no real tradable assets.
One of those veterans they signed was Kent Bazemore, a then-32-year-old 6-foot-4 wing who was coming off a strong season with the Golden State Warriors.
Bazemore had previously played a portion of the 2013-14 season with the team, and it was projected he would be a solid 3-and-D role player. Some even expected him to be in the starting lineup, which he was to start the season.
But he played very poorly offensively, even missing easy layups in transition, and his defense didn’t exactly make up for his offensive ineptness.
Bazemore will now be joining the Sacramento Kings on a one-year contract.
Free agent forward Kent Bazemore has agreed to a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 7, 2022
After playing poorly the first few weeks of this past season, the Old Dominion University product fell into head coach Frank Vogel’s doghouse and saw little action afterward.
Bazemore started just one game in December and zero contests after the calendar turned over into 2022.
At age 33, perhaps he’s not washed up, and playing for a team such as the Kings that doesn’t have any real expectations may help him re-establish himself.
