The Lakers intend to sign guard Darren Collison and forward Stanley Johnson to 10-day contracts via hardship exceptions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who reports (via Twitter) that the team hopes both players can be available for Saturday’s Christmas Day contest vs. Brooklyn.
Collison made a surprise retirement announcement just ahead of free agency in the summer of 2019, citing family and religious reasons. In his final NBA season in 2018-19, he averaged 11.2 PPG and 6.0 APG with a .467/.407/.832 shooting line in 76 games (28.2 MPG) for the Pacers.
There were reports that Collison might return with the Lakers or Clippers during the ’19-20 season, but nothing came of those rumors and he later said they were overblown. However, the 34-year-old reportedly worked out for the Lakers and Warriors this summer, signaling that he remained open to the idea of a comeback. Now, for at least 10 days, it’s happening.
Johnson, 25, signed a 10-day hardship deal with the Bulls earlier this month, but entered the health and safety protocols before appearing in a game with the team. Assuming he tested positive for COVID-19, it appears he’s now fully recovered.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Johnson has played for the Pistons, Pelicans, and Raptors since entering the NBA. He has proven capable of providing energy and defensive versatility off the bench, but his offensive game has always been limited. In 371 career regular season games, he has averaged 6.2 PPG on .375/.298/.761 shooting in 19.7 minutes per contest.
Collison and Johnson will be the Lakers’ third and fourth hardship signings, joining Isaiah Thomas and Jemerrio Jones. The team currently has five players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
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