Lakers Rumors: Damian Jones Agrees to 2-Year Contract at Start of NBA Free Agency

Former Sacramento Kings center Damian Jones has agreed to a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

While it's unclear how much Jones will earn, Wojnarowski added that the second year of the deal is a player option.

Signing Jones gives the Lakers much more depth at center.

This also won't be his first stint with the franchise. Jones appeared in eight games for the Lakers during the 2020-21 season on two 10-day contracts. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14 minutes per game.

L.A. let Jones walk after his second 10-day deal expired, and he spent the remainder of the 2020-21 season with the Kings before earning a one-year deal to return to Sacramento for the 2021-22 campaign.

Jones averaged 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 56 games last season while shooting 65.8 percent from the floor. He mainly played off the bench, averaging 18.2 minutes per game.

The 27-year-old will be an upgrade for the Lakers over DeAndre Jordan, who reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, and Dwight Howard. L.A. lacked athleticism at the position last season, so Jones will be a welcomed addition.

That said, the Lakers are stuck filling out the remainder of their roster on smaller deals as James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook take up a majority of the team's cap space. So, it'll be interesting to see what other moves the franchise makes.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha reported the Purple and Gold were expected to focus on two-way wings in free agency, so keep an eye out for that position.