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Dave McMenamin
The Los Angeles Lakers added a new big man Monday just as the team is preparing to be without starting center Deandre Ayton for the immediate future.
Ayton, who exited L.A.’s 108-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday and did not return because of a right knee contusion, has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the LA Clippers, the team announced.
Earlier Monday evening, the Lakers signed 6-foot-10 big man Drew Timme to a two-way contract, his agents Deddrick Faison and Rich Gray told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Timme had averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists this season for L.A.’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, and has been a standout during practices — including when LeBron James was on a rehabilitation assignment with South Bay, sources told ESPN.
Timme signed with the Brooklyn Nets in March after playing for the G League’s Stockton Kings. He averaged 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in nine games to close out the season with Brooklyn, making two starts.
The 25-year-old was a college standout as a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer with 2,307 points in four seasons.
Timme went undrafted in 2023 and got his start as a professional playing for the G League’s Wisconsin Herd in 2023-24 after signing an Exhibit 10 deal with the Milwaukee Bucks to join their training camp.
The Lakers waived center Christian Koloko to create the two-way vacancy for Timme, sources told ESPN.