Lakers to bring back Farmar

By KEVIN DING

The Orange County Register

The Lakers aren't necessarily trying to invest in nostalgia, but they do believe experience is one thing they can use to win games in the coming season.

To that end, they've agreed to bring back guard Jordan Farmar, who intends to get out of the last two years of his contract with Turkish club Anadolu Efes Istanbul to rejoin his hometown team. Farmar will get a one-year deal for the league minimum worth about $1 million; the Lakers have nothing to offer free agents besides minimum deals and are trying to avoid committing beyond the coming season to any of them.

A UCLA product, Farmar was part of the Lakers' 2009 and 2010 NBA championship teams, energizing the bench unit with his speed and shooting. He was never an ideal fit for Phil Jackson's triangle offense, preferring to play traditional pick-and-roll ball ï¿½ and that has Farmar excited to play for current Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni.

The Lakers are considering playing Kobe Bryant, when healthy after his Achilles' rupture, at small forward after the expected amnesty waiving of Metta World Peace. The window for the Lakers to waive World Peace began Wednesday and continues until Tuesday.

So there could be plenty of guard minutes available despite the Lakers already having Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks locked up. D'Antoni also likes to play small ball with sometimes four perimeter players on the court at one time, so Farmar might be able to carve out a prominent role if he fares well. Farmar could wind up being the Lakers' best defensive guard against quick opposing point guards also.

Farmar, 26, left the Lakers for the Nets via free agency in 2010 and has never achieved his goal of running his own NBA team on the floor. He did make the Turkish All-Star Game last season after signing a three-year, $10.5 million deal a year ago, making sure he had escape clauses after each season. This buyout is not yet finalized for him to sign his new Lakers contract.

The Lakers also re-signed backup center Robert Sacre, who showed some potential as a rookie last season.

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