LA Lakers Sign Drew Timme

The LA Lakers just made a move that will likely go by the wayside later in the season, but could actually matter in the long run. With DeAndre Ayton sidelined with a knee injury, LA signed Drew Timme to a two-way contract, bringing the former Gonzaga legend up from their G League team, the South Bay Lakers.

The timing of this acquisition is important to the Lakers, who will be without their starting big man for an unknown amount of time. Ayton suffered a right knee contusion on Sunday evening after colliding with Jazz rookie Ace Bailey. After signing with the Lakers in the summer, Ayton, who, in the eyes of many, has failed to live up to being selected first overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, has finally started to meet expectations, averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting nearly 70% as a legitimate pick-and-roll threat. With Ayton on the sidelines, that leaves only Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber as their true big men, making size depth a legitimate concern. 

With Timme, who's been on a tear in the G League, averaging 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and four assists for South Bay while shooting over 50% from the field, the Lakers are hoping to fill the void. While he left Gonzaga as the Bulldogs' all-time leading scorer and a three-time All-American, Timme's game didn't exactly translate to the pros, leaving him undrafted in 2023. With a short stint as a member of the Brooklyn Nets sandwiched around multiple opportunities in the G League, Timme is looking for an opportunity to once again prove himself.

While he doesn’t provide much in the way of rim protection, Timme could give the Lakers a high-IQ, interior scoring option who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work. It’s unlikely that Timme will line up alongside Rui Hachimura, another former Bulldog, for any significant amount of time, at least not right away. On a two-way contract, Timme will act as insurance for the Lakers and bounce between the NBA and G League, and will probably only see playing time if Ayton, Hayes, or Kleber miss action for any significant amount of time.