National Basketball Association

AP Source: Davis to Lakers for 2 years, $2 million

Published Jul. 17, 2014 12:11 a.m. ET

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LAS VEGAS (AP) Ed Davis is on his way to the Los Angeles Lakers, giving the changing Lakers frontcourt another athletic big man and Davis another chance to show what he can do.

Davis agreed to a two-year, $2 million deal with the Lakers on Wednesday night, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. The deal includes a player option for the second season, giving him the chance to get back on the market quickly if things go well.

Toronto made Davis the 13th overall pick in 2010, hoping the forward would add a dynamic element to its frontcourt. He showed real flashes early on in his career, averaging 7.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in under 25 minutes per game during his rookie season.

Two years later, Davis was shipped to Memphis as part of the trade that sent Rudy Gay to the Raptors, and he struggled to find consistent playing time on a Grizzlies team loaded with talent and experience in the frontcourt. When the Grizzlies re-signed Zach Randolph this summer, it made Davis expendable.

The opportunity is there for him in Los Angeles. The Lakers are going through a period of transition, with longtime power forward Pau Gasol headed to Chicago and veteran center Chris Kaman gone to Portland.

The Lakers brought back veteran Jordan Hill and drafted Kentucky's Julius Randle with the seventh overall pick in June. But that's about the extent of their depth in the frontcourt, so the opportunity is there for Davis to come in and make an impact.

After bringing back Hill and guard Nick Young and acquiring point guard Jeremy Lin in a trade with Houston, the Lakers used up nearly all of their cap room.

So squeezing in Davis for $2 million - a deal that was first reported by Yahoo! Sports - could be one of the bargains of the summer.

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