Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary.
As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years.
In the summer of 2016, the Lakers signed forward Luol Deng away from the Miami Heat. He had been in the NBA for 12 years after he was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2004 draft, and he had established himself as a solid two-way player while being named to the All-Star game twice. He was 31 years of age when he came to L.A., but he was coming off a productive season.
However, with L.A., his production suddenly fell off a cliff. Deng averaged 7.6 points in 26.5 minutes a game, both of which were career lows, and he shot under 40% from the field for the first time in his career. Fans criticized the Lakers for giving him a four-year, $72 million contract that he didn’t exactly live up to.
Deng played just one game for the Lakers during the 2017-18 season, and that appearance came on opening night. The team waived and stretched him after the end of the season, after buying out his contract. He appeared in 22 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2018-19 campaign before retiring.