In a three-team blockbuster deal that saw the Lakers welcome back D'Angelo Russell , they also had to part ways with two players that they signed this past summer. Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson found themselves being dealt to the Utah Jazz. While most players would feel some sort of remorse having to leave such a historic franchise, both veteran big men have expressed relief in an interview with Ryan Miller of KSL.
The city of Los Angeles is not the most heartwarming to play for at times, especially when the team isn't winning. The fans hold a lot of expectations as they have been shown success in the past.
Jones had a short stint with the Lakers in 2021 that saw him play 8 games and about 14 minutes per game. He returned to the team this year and saw his role diminish even more, dropping to 8 minutes per game.
"Being in LA, it was tough," said Jones. "Coming into this situation though, hopefully there's a new opportunity".
Toscano-Anderson also looks forward to moving on from the purple and gold mostly due to lack of playing time as well. He was brought in to be a stretch big that could also defend some forwards but the team opted to prioritize minutes for Wenyen Gabriel and Thomas Bryant.
The former dunk contest participant had his best season with the Golden State Warriors back in 2021 when he shot almost 60% from the field and 40% from 3. He saw his 3-point percentage plummet to 20% this year.
"I was happy about it — kinda relieved," he said. "My situation there wasn't the best. I want to play basketball. I love this game. That's what I wake up every day to do. I play this game because I actually like playing. I wasn't seeing the time there, which is perfectly fine. I just wasn't in the rotation, so I'm looking forward to a new opportunity."
The Utah Jazz are a young team looking to build around first time All-Star Lauri Markkanen. There are not much expectations surrounding when it comes to winning as they traded both of their older stars this past offseason. Jones and Toscano-Anderson will serve as a veteran presence on the team.
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