Lakers News: South Bay Lakers Trade For Two 2022 Picks, Rights To Jon Teske

The Lakers' NBAGL club is keeping busy!

Your Los Angeles Lakers' El Segundo-based NBA G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, are making moves. The team announced in a press release that it has sent out the returning player rights to small forward Jemerrio Jones, plus its 2022 third-round G League draft selection (via the Salt Lake City Stars) to the Orlando Magic's NBAGL club, the Lakeland Magic. In exchange, Lakeland is sending South Bay the returning player rights to 7'1" center Jon Teske, as well as its 2022 first- and second-round G League draft picks.

Because the G League is by nature fairly fluid and doesn't compensate non-stars as well as some international opportunities could, players often depart for greener pastures. Whenever they want to return to the G League (and thus a chance at cracking an affiliated NBA team's roster), they must sign with the team in possession of their returning player rights.

In the case of this deal, both Teske and Jones are still stateside, for now.

Teske, who went undrafted out of the University of Michigan in 2020, played in 29 contests for the Lakeland Magic last season. Across 25 minutes a night, he posted averages of 6.2 points on 50.4% field goal shooting, plus 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 dimes, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest.

During his final season with the Wolverines, Teske averaged 11.6 points (on 47.8% field goal shooting), 6.7 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals a night.

At one point in the 2021-22 season, the 24-year-old big man inked a 10-day COVID-19-related hardship exception deal with Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies. Averaged 2.7 minutes a night, Teske had cameos in just three NBA games. When the Grizzlies decided to move on rather than sign him to another deal, Teske rejoined the Lakeland Magic, where he remained for the rest of the year.

Will this impact the Los Angeles Lakers much?