Roy Hibbert will be wearing a Lakers uniform this coming season. (Photo : REUTERS)
Roy Hibbert might have already given his fans a big clue (at the top of his Twitter page) that he's going to officially join the Los Angeles Lakers anytime soon.
Days following reports on agreement between the Lakers and Indiana Pacers centered on Hibbert, the two-time NBA All-Star updated his Twitter banner with the famous purple-and-gold logo, giving everybody an indication ahead of the completion of the deal that he's going to be a Laker next season.
The 28-year old Hibbert averaged 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25 minutes per game last season, and served as the lynchpin of that Pacers defense during their recent playoff campaign. But with the Pacers looking to implement a fast-paced offense next season along with the goal of staying under the luxury threshold, Hibbert's future with the team was expected to be moved right after the end of 2014-15 NBA season.
For the Lakers, the acquisition of Hibbert, which is expected to push through today according to Jeff Zigglist of USA Today, will not only serve as a face-saving move after striking out on a cavalcade of elite free-agent big men (Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe) , but it would address their glaring need of a rim protector inside the paint.
Despite not being known as an efficient scorer down the block, Hibbert is still considered one of the finest shot blockers in the game as he averaged 1.9 blocks per game throughout his career. The Lakers defense was ranked 29th in the league last season, allowing opponents to score 105.3 points per game.
