Former Lakers Center Signing With Eastern Conference Squad

Ricardo Sandoval | 8 Hours Ago

Mar 18, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Harry Giles III (20) shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Former Los Angeles Lakers center Harry Giles is headed back to his home state of North Carolina.

Giles has signed a contract with the Eastern Conference team, the Charlotte Hornets.

The Athletic's Shams Charania shared the news via Twitter/X.

Free agent center Harry Giles has agreed to a one-year deal with the Charlotte Hornets, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management told @TheAthletic. The Duke alum and North Carolina native returns home for a chance to compete for a roster spot with the Hornets. pic.twitter.com/qAGnePDZPL

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2024

Giles' agent, Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management, told The Athletic.

The 26-year-old will have a chance to compete for a roster spot with the Hornets as training camp approaches. Giles has had a tough go in the NBA, as injuries and poor play have hampered his career. The hope for Giles is to rejuvenate his career for his hometown team.

The former first-round draft pick appeared in seven games for the Lakers in the 2023-24 season. In those seven games, he averaged 0.3 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.1 steals in 2.7 minutes per game. Giles appeared in blowout situations and didn't get many opportunities to show what he was capable of.

Prior to joining the Lakers, he signed a two-way contract and played for the Lakers' G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.

Prior to the NBA, Giles was a stud coming out of high school and entering Duke. According to ESPN, the 26-year-old was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 player. Giles had the size, skillset, and dominant presence to be a great player one day; however, injuries held him back.

In his senior year of high school, he tore his ACL in his right knee. Since then, he was not the same, although he still played for the Blue Devils during the 2016-17 season. He appeared in 26 games and only averaged 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

At the end of his freshman season at Duke, Giles decided to forgo his final three years and enter the 2017 NBA Draft. Since then, it's been a whirlwind for him.

The Portland Trail Blazers selected him as the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, he was later traded to the Sacramento Kings on draft night. He only spent three seasons in Sacramento after being lackluster and struggling to stay healthy for most of his time there.

After his stint in Sacramento, he moved to Portland, Brooklyn, and L.A. and is now a member of the Hornets organization. In his career, Giles has averaged 5.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 165 games.

The Lakers could've used a player of Giles' size but instead went with Christian Koloko, who they believe can be a difference-maker in due time.

More Lakers: Lakers' LeBron James Talks Long-Anticipated Olympic Team-Up with Steph Curry