Lakers Sign Former 5-Star Prospect Wenyen Gabriel to a Two-Way Deal

The Lakers made another move on Monday by signing former Kentucky player Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way NBA contract.

The Lakers made a couple of moves on Monday to improve their bench depth. They announced a deal with DJ Augustin in a move that will remove DeAndre Jordan from the roster. But they also signed another player to a deal right after that.

Per The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Lakers are signing former 5-star prospect Wenyen Gabriel to a two-way deal. Gabriel played his college years at Kentuck and went undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft. 

Gabriel played just two seasons with the Wildcats before taking his shot at the NBA.  He was signed to a two-way deal by the Kings after his initial Summer League and has bounced around the league ever since. This season alone, this will be the third team that he has signed with. 

The Lakers also intend to sign forward Wenyen Gabriel on a two-way NBA contract, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Gabriel has had stints with the Nets, Clippers and Pelicans this season, showing flashes of athleticism and versatility at 6-foot-9. https://t.co/XCCc1MxC2B

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 1, 2022

As part of the move, the Lakers will need to remove either Mason Jones or Sekou Doumbouya. Both of them are currently two-way players, and each team is only allotted two under NBA policy. 

Gabriel has never averaged more than 11.5 minutes per game with any team in the NBA. He did that in 21 games with the Pelicans during the 2020-21 season. He gives them some depth at the wing and a little bit of speed along with versatility. 

It's a minor move and probably one that won't move the needle for them. But at this point, Lakers fans will take what they can get.