Sources: Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee to join Lakers on one-year deals

ByChris Haynes ESPN logo
Monday, July 2, 2018

After snatching LeBron James, the biggest free agent in the 2018 market, the Los Angeles Lakers are shifting to filling out the roster.

The Lakers have agreed to free-agent deals with guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lance Stephensonand veteran center JaVale McGee, league sources told ESPN.

Sources said Caldwell-Pope will re-sign on a one-year, $12 million deal and that Stephenson has agreed to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.

McGee and the Lakers reached agreement on a one-year deal worth the minimum, league sources told ESPN. McGee has played the past two years for the Golden State Warriors.

Caldwell-Pope, 25, will head into his second season with the Lakers after finishing a one-year, $18 million deal. He is a 3-D, catch-and-shoot player who figures to fit well alongside James.

Stephenson, 27, is known as a LeBron antagonist, and the two have had testy moments in the playoffs, but James has never had a personal issue with the defensive guard, sources said.

The 6-foot-5 guard became available after the Indiana Pacers declined his option for the 2018-19 season. Indiana wanted to go after bigger names in free agency and planned to discuss bringing Stephenson back.

Once James committed to the Lakers, Stephenson was a top player on the team's priority list.

The Lakers are heard to be offering only one-year deals to maximize their cap space for the summer of 2019.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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