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The Twitter rumor mill is churning hard, and it would appear that the Los Angeles Lakers are close to signing Gonzaga grad Johnathan Williams to their Summer League roster, according to Bill Oram, The Athletic’s Los Angeles Lakers reporter.
The Lakers will sign Johnathan Williams from Gonzaga to their summer league roster. As @MikeAScotto reported last night, they already added UNC's Joel Berry and OkSt's Jeffrey Carroll.
— Bill Oram (@billoram) June 22, 2018
It is going to be an uphill climb for Williams to reach the NBA, but starting out in the Summer League is the best bet. While there, he will be able to play against many players picked in the draft as well as some younger NBA players.
Williams helped lead Gonzaga to a national championship appearance and the school’s fourth-straight Sweet 16 appearance in his two years as a Zag. He averaged 13.4 points and 8.5 rebounds per game last season, shooting 56.3 percent from the floor. Williams has demonstrated NBA range on his jump shot, but his free throw percentage leaves something to be desired.
In this day and age of stretch fours, Williams might not be able to stretch it as much as a NBA coach would like on the offensive end. He is, however, quite a versatile defender. He averaged a block per game over his collegiate career. He is a nimble defender and quick on his feet, and isn’t left out on an island against smaller opponents.
If Williams is looking for an in, this is his best bet. If it doesn’t work out in the NBA, there is no doubt he could land himself in the G-League or somewhere in Europe. It’ll be an uphill climb to reach the NBA, but Williams is a hard enough and smart enough player to get there.