Brandon Bass to Lakers: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to terms on July 5 with veteran power forward Brandon Bass.

The team officially announced the signing on July 9:

Part of the uncertainty about the specifics of Bass' deal likely hinge on the apparent trade L.A. is about to swing for Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported news of that seemingly imminent swap on Saturday.

The Lakers' frontcourt has been in considerable flux this offseason. The Lakers have seen Ed Davis sign with Portland, and they declined their option on Jordan Hill. It is therefore a wise decision by general manager Mitch Kupchak to bring in an experienced player such as Bass, who played in Boston the past four seasons.

Having missed just one regular-season game since the start of 2012-13, Bass has been as durable as big men come. His solid mid-range game and precise free-throw shooting will give L.A. a bit more firepower up front. Synergy Sports Tech highlighted those aspects of Bass' game:

Despite those stellar advanced stats and a solid line of 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest in 23.5 minutes, Bass felt he fell short of his own postseason expectations, per MassLive.com's Jay King:

"

I didn't like the way I performed. I know I could play 10 times better than the way I played. But it happens. My whole career in the playoffs, I always played at a higher level than I played in the season. So the law of averages got me this year. I think it happens. But I'm in the gym already, improving right now. So we'll be better next year.

"

It's evident Bass is driven to redeem a lackluster playoff outing, where he shot 35 percent and averaged five points a game, as Cleveland swept Boston. If he's keen to do so, he must feel L.A. has a shot at ascending into the top eight in the tougher Western Conference sometime soon.

Another reason for Lakers fans to be excited about Bass' arrival is last year's lottery pick Julius Randle will have a suitable mentor to guide him. Bass served in that capacity with a young, rebuilding Celtics squad, making him an ideal fit for Los Angeles' current circumstances.

Boston made a surprise playoff appearance with Bass logging his lowest number of minutes as a Celtic. Perhaps a similar shock scenario can unfold for the Lakers, with Bass taking on a larger role than he had in Beantown for another historic organization.