By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following a brilliant campaign overseas and the recent workout at the Los Angeles Lakers, Dwayne Bacon will be part of the 2022 NBA Preseason.
Bacon, 27, was working toward a training camp deal with the Lakers, as noted by Shams Charania of The Athletic, and was later officially confirmed as an addition.
Per the press release: “The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Dwayne Bacon and forward Matt Ryan, it was announced today.
During the 2020-21 season, Bacon (6’6”, 221) appeared in all 72 games (50 starts) for the Orlando Magic, averaging 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 25.7 minutes per game. Across four seasons with Orlando (2020-21) and Charlotte (2017-20), Bacon has averaged 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.4 minutes.
Ryan (6’7”, 215) appeared in 30 regular season G League games (20 starts) last season for Grand Rapids and Maine, recording 19.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 41.5 percent from 3-point range. Ryan appeared in one game for the Boston Celtics last season, tallying three points and one steal in five minutes.”
Moving his talents to AS Monaco and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the 2021-22 season, he registered 14.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per contest in Europe’s premier continental competition. Domestically, he averaged 12.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in France’s Betclic LNB Pro A.
Over the four previous seasons, Bacon logged 207 games played in the NBA lasting three seasons at the Charlotte Hornets and spending 2020-21 at the Orlando Magic. Packing 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game illustrate the picture of his career in the NBA.
Coming out of Florida State, he was picked 40th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Hornets on draft night. Packing plenty of professional experience, from the NBA to EuroLeague, he has emerged as a much more attractive player looking to battle for a place in the 2022-23 NBA season.
Other players on a training camp contract with the Lakers are 24-year-old guard Javante McCoy and 25-year-old center Jay Huff. Matt Ryan also penned a non-guaranteed deal.
The Lakers currently carry 12 players with guaranteed contracts. Numbers can change with a potential trade. Permitted to have 15 players at the start of the season, the flexibility can lead to a training-camp contract turning into a standard deal.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net