The Los Angeles Lakers had their eyes on a specific big man in the second round of the NBA Draft. They traded for the 56th pick hoping to grab North Carolina center Henri Veesaar. But the Atlanta Hawks jumped in with their own trade with the Clippers, and the Lakers essentially said forget it and traded out of the round entirely.
So they pivoted. And they ended up with a couple of interesting additions anyway.
Two-Way Deals After the Draft
According to Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.com, the Lakers signed former Miami (Ohio) guard Peter Suder and Vanderbilt forward AK Okereke to two-way contracts. These deals don’t count against the salary cap, and the team can swap them out whenever they want through the season. Last year they signed Eric Dixon to a two-way deal, and he never made the regular season roster. So there’s no guarantee either of these guys sticks.
But Suder in particular is worth paying attention to.
He was part of a Miami (Ohio) team that went 31-0 during the regular season. That’s a perfect regular season. It doesn’t happen often in college basketball, and Suder was a big reason it happened for the RedHawks.
What Suder Brings
Last season he played 33 games, averaging over 31 minutes a night. His stat line: 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals. And he shot 42.1 percent from three-point range on decent volume. That’s a legit deep threat. He also shot 54.6 percent from the field overall and 73.4 percent from the free-throw line. He’s not just a shooter — he can handle the ball, facilitate a little, and plays tough defense.
Two-way contracts limit players to 50 regular season NBA games and they’re not eligible for the playoffs unless the deal gets converted to a standard contract. So Lakers fans will probably get their first look at Suder, Okereke and first-round pick Cameron Carr during summer league next month.
The Lakers didn’t get the guy they wanted at the draft. But they might have found a useful piece off the scrap heap. It happens sometimes.
Leave a Comment