Kent Bazemore, who had been playing at the Los Angeles Lakers since he was drafted 16th overall out of UCLA in 2010, will sign a three-year deal worth $18 million with the Sacramento Kings, according to league sources.
The move comes just days after former MVP Stephen Curry signed with Golden State, leaving the Western Conference finals without its two best players.
Bazemore’s twin brother, Marcus, signed with Cleveland earlier this week. He averaged 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game last season.
Kent Bazemore (born September 20, 1986) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college ball for the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he led the Bruins to the 2009 NCAA Championship as a sophomore before being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. His younger brother, Marcus, was selected in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He currently plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both brothers were teammates at UCLA.
In
He missed most of 2013–14 due to injury, however, he still managed to make the postseason roster. On February 10, 2014, Bazemore scored a career high 31 points along with 8 assists and 6 rebounds in a 124–117 double overtime win over the New York Knicks. That was also the highest scoring output of his entire NBA career. At the end of the season, he earned Second Team All-Defensive honors, becoming the first Magic player to do so since Dwight Howard in 2005.
In 2015–16, Bazemore once again saw his numbers drop as his minutes significantly decreased. However, he still managed to play in 79 games. In 37 games during the regular season, he recorded averages of 12.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.1 apg and shot 47% from the field. He became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2016. After waiving his rights to become a restricted free agent, Bazemore agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the Detroit Pistons on August 17, 2016. On January 22, 2017, Bazemore opted out of his contract with the Pistons and joined his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, on a two-way contract. On October 30, 2017, Bazemour re-signed with the Lakers on a multi-year contract.
On
On June 12, 2019, Bazemore announced on social media that he has changed his mind about retirement and intends to return to the Lakers for the 2019–20 season.
Kent Bazemor…
Lakers Rumors: LeBron James’ Decision To Leave Cavs Leaves Team Without Its Best Players
