If the Lakers are not going to be very good next year (and they’re not) they might as well be interesting and bring back some guys that fans like.
Say, for example, Jordan Farmar.
The guy who went to Taft High School in the beautiful San Fernando Valley, played his college ball at UCLA, was the backup point guard on the Lakers title teams in 2009 and 2010 and was a fan favorite, is on his way back to Los Angeles, according to Dave McMenamin at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
This is a one year, veteran’s minimum deal. The Lakers have to work out a buyout with Farmar’s Turkish team. So long as that is under $500,000 the Lakers can pay it and it will not count against the salary cap.
This move is likely to go over fairly well with Lakers fans.
While he was winning rings in L.A., Farmar had always felt boxed in by Phil Jackson’s triangle and the first chance he got he bolted for the greener pastures of New Jersey. There he largely backed up Devin Harris then Deron Williams on some mediocre squads. When those two years were up and he struggled to get a job stateside he played last season in Turkey.
The Lakers are in talks to bring back Lamar Odom as well, sort of a 2010 reunion tour. Which is not going to take the Lakers far in the playoffs but would be fairly entertaining.