This NBA news came out of left field on a late evening of college football Saturday night. Anton Watson is joining another fellow Zag, Rui Hachimura, with the Los Angeles Lakers on a training camp deal this fall. He will compete for a spot on the regular-season roster with one two-way slot open.
In 2024-25, Watson was waived by the Boston Celtics in March (the same franchise that drafted him late in the second round with the 54th pick of the 2024 NBA Draft) and was then almost immediately signed by the New York Knicks on another two-way contract. The 6-8 forward finished his first professional season in the NBA with only nine appearances in 2.4 minutes per game.
On the G League level, he showed off more flashes of his versatility on both ends of the floor, putting together 12.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game with the Maine Claws, Boston’s affiliate.
During his time in the NBA Summer League with the Knicks, he averaged 8.2 points on a shooting split of 57.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 100 percent on free throws to go along with 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists through 17.2 minutes per game.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
