It’s difficult for the average player to have a prolonged NBA career, even if they’ve won a championship. Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Juan Toscano-Anderson previously won a championship with the Golden State Warriors, but has had trouble staying on an NBA roster.
He spent last season playing in Mexico City, and now it looks like he’s off to Europe. Basketball team Pallacanestro Trieste of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A announced that they have signed Toscano-Anderson to a contract.
“Bringing a player of the caliber of Juan Toscano-Anderson to Trieste is much more than a market operation; it is a milestone in the history of our club,” president and owner Paul Matiasic said in a statement. “His personal and professional path testifies to an extraordinary resilience, the ability to overcome immense obstacles, to bet on himself and to win at the highest level.”
Toscano-Anderson was able to play on some very good NBA teams, but never found a big role. The Oakland, California, native has averaged 4.1 points a game in his career. At 32, it might be difficult for him to get another chance in the NBA, but he could be a key player for Pallacanestro Trieste going forward. There are a lot worse places for a professional basketball player to live than Italy.
Lakers Likely Done Making Roster Moves for Now
The Lakers have had a busy offseason, but the biggest move they made was convincing Luka Doncic to take a long-term contract. However, the roster still isn’t perfect.
For now, there’s not much the Lakers can do. They have a roster spot open, but Rob Pelinka typically keeps a spot open going into the season. He also doesn’t make many offseason trades. This means the Lakers are likely to go into the season with their current roster.
Luka Doncic Compared to Magic Johnson
The Lakers’ future was murky heading into last season, but things are much clearer now that Doncic is with the team long term. He should be the next face of the franchise for a long time.
Former NBA player Tyson Chandler recently had a comparison for Doncic that Lakers fans will love.
“Luka was one of the best players I’ve ever seen on the court and in practice,” Chandler told Eurohoops. “Of course, we all see what Luka does in the game, but I’m speaking about practice, because it’s very difficult to impress your peers. Luka does things that I’ve never seen before. That’s difficult. I’ve been around the game for a long time, and there are very few special players that will show you some things that you’ve never seen before.”
“I would always call him Luka Magic because he reminded me of a European version of Magic Johnson,” he continued. “This new age, Luka is his own player, but Magic was the older generation of somebody with a smile that was the killer. They’d come out there and destroy you, win games, but with a big smile. He’s just such a joy to watch, and I love watching him. Nothing but great things to say about Luka.”
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