According to a report from Marc Stein of ESPN on Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to add veteran power forward Yi Jianlian into the mix for the upcoming 2016-2017 season.
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Yi led from the front at the Olympics in Rio, but had little back-up and China lost all five games. The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly attempting to sign him. Jianlian entered the NBA as the no. 6 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.
At 28 years old, Yi is in the middle of what is a ripe time for players to be hitting their prime. He spent two seasons in New Jersey, averaging a career high in points (12.0) and rebounds (7.2) in 2009-10.
When China played Team USA in a pre-Olympics exhibition at Staples Center on July 24, Lakers coach Luke Walton, general manager Mitch Kupchak and the purple and gold brain trust assembled at the arena to watch the contest.
The seven-foot center out of China had a five year career in the National Basketball Association and was drafted sixth overall in 2007, playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks between 2007 and 2012, where he put up modest numbers, his best season being in 2010 where he averaged 12.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and one block a game.
During group stage play in Rio, Yi was one of the lone bright spots on the team alongside Houston Rockets draft pick and fellow seven-footer Zhou Qi. Standing at 7-feet tall, he would be a similar height as the Lakers’ current center, Timofey Mozgov.
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Also, the team featured Taiwanese-American Jeremy Lin, who has a massive following in China, during the 2014-15 season.
