Former Lakers Starter Signs Shocking New Overseas Contract

As we are fast approaching the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, teams are finalizing their rosters. This means that certain players on the bubble will have to settle for two-way contracts, find G League deals, or sign with other pro teams overseas. This will obviously include plenty of names familiar to Lakers fans. One recent signing will surely surprise a lot of basketball fans.

Troy Brown Jr. started in 45 games for the Lakers in the 2022-23 season. He was a member of the team that made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals, appearing in 12 games during that postseason run. For the regular season, he averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 38.1% from downtown in 24.5 minutes of action.

After spending last season with the Timberwolves and the Pistons, the 25-year-old small forward was surprisingly unable to find another NBA deal. Instead, he made the unexpected decision to sign with Manisa Basket in Turkey.

Former Lakers Wing Troy Brown Jr. Signs Overseas Contract

Brown is still young and has a valuable skill set. He is 6-foot-6 and has the size and length to guard multiple positions. Plus, he is a decent shooter. The fact that he wasn't able to land a minimum one-year deal with an NBA team is shocking.

His team choice in Europe is fascinating as well. He is not headed to a Euroleague powerhouse. Manisa Basket is a mid-tier team in the Turkish domestic league that doesn't compete in Euroleague or EuroCup.

Whether we have seen the last of Brown in the NBA remains to be seen but this is certainly a big decline for a player who was starting for the Lakers frontcourt next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis less than two years ago.

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