Lakers sign Johnson to another 10-day contract

Lakers sign Johnson to another 10-day contract

NBA

Lakers sign Johnson to another 10-day contract

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“We’re excited to have him back obviously. He played well under the hardship contract for us, and just provided an element of defense, toughness and athleticism that we’ve been lacking,” Vogel said.

But while Johnson started in three of the five games he appeared in for the Lakers while filling in as a hardship player, Vogel said that no one should count on that happening again when the Lakers host the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed Stanley Johnson to a second 10-day contract, the team announced Thursday. The Lakers were in an unusual position with Johnson due to league rules.

They initially signed him using a hardship exemption that was based on the number of players they had in the league's health and safety protocols. When that 10-day deal expired, the Lakers no longer had any players in the protocols, so they couldn't sign him with another exemption.

There are two advantages to signing Johnson to 10-day deals. The first is obvious: flexibility. If the Lakers had signed Johnson for the season only to watch him get hurt, or be ineffective, they would have to pay him regardless. By using 10-days, they can monitor his health and performance a bit longer before making a commitment. From a flexibility standpoint, this also makes it slightly easier for the Lakers to make a trade. Roster spots are rare at this point in the season, so the Lakers having the ability to keep one open could help them make a multi-player deal at the deadline.