Brazilian point guard Marcelo Huertas (R) against Team USA's Derrick Rose. (Photo : Reuters)
The Los Angeles Lakers have recently signed veteran Brazilian point guard Marcelo "Marcelinho" Huertas to a one-year contract at an undisclosed amount and will join the young point guard rotation of sensational sophomore Jordan Clarkson and this year's no.2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell.
Reports abound since late July that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is looking for an experienced floor general that would balance the development of their young duo of Clarkson and Russell.
It seems like the Lakers have finally found what they are looking for in the 32-year-old Huertas, who was considered as one of the "most accomplished playmakers" in the Euroleague, as per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
This would be the first opportunity for the former FC Barcelona standout to play in the NBA and he will bring a lot of experience to the team's backcourt along with, of course, 19-year veteran Kobe Bryant.
There were even speculations that Huertas would compete either Russell or Clarkson for the starting no. 1 spot or Russell for the primary backup point guard position as Byron Scott is said to be looking to balance experience and athleticism in his current lineup.
Either way, Huertas and perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate Lou Williams is more likely to spell the two young guns from the bench this coming season with Bryant projected to play at the small forward spot and Nick Young and rookie Anthony Brown as reserves.
NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk noted that Huertas is a "very strong pick-and-roll guard with fantastic court vision," something which surely made coach Scott tremble in anticipation.
The 6-foot-3 São Paulo native led Barcelona to three straight final four appearances in the Euroleague and had been a mainstay of the Brazilian national team in different world basketball tournaments such as the Olympics, World Championships, and FIBA Americas Championships.
