Lakers sign Kelly: Low-cost "scratch" and the final dream journey of the edge center

The Lakers' offseason lineup strengthened another round, and the official announced the signing of the center. According to previous reports, the two sides reached an Exhibit-10 contract.

For most fans, Kelly's name may be unfamiliar, but this 2.13-meter inside player is holding the "breakable opportunity" handed over by the Lakers - if he cannot break through in the preseason, he will most likely face the fate of being sacked before the start of the new season.

Kelly, born in 1997, is 2 meters tall and weighs 104 kilograms. After being unfortunately out of the 2020 draft, he has been dormant in the NBA Development League for a long time, playing for the Spurs, Raptors, Celtics and Lakers' teams Nanwan Lakers.

Last season was the most recent year since the NBA main game: he played 11 regular season games for the Pelicans and Mavericks, averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game, and his shooting percentage was as high as 63.6%; in the Development League, he played 18 games for the Nanwan Lakers, averaging 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, and his shooting percentage of 66.9% showed efficient inside finishing ability, and 2.1 blocks highlighted the potential for the frame protection.

Kelly's basketball journey is quite bumpy. He has played for 26 in the UK, Canada, the Balkans and Italian leagues. He briefly joined the Lakers in the summer of 2024, but was cut before the start of the season. In January this year, the Mavericks signed him on a two-way contract, but ultimately failed to stay in the team.

The Lakers currently have three centers in their lineup: Ayton, Hayes and Kroko (two-way contract). If Kelly wants to stay in the team, he must perform well in training camp and preseason to be able to replace Koloko's position.

Under NBA regulations, if Kelly is cut before the start of the season, he can get up to $85,300 in prize money and be eligible to join the Lakers' affiliate team in the Development League. Exhibit 10 contracts can be converted into two-way contracts and further converted into formal contracts.

The Lakers' operations this summer include renewing Doncic, signing Ayton, Smart, Laravia and Hayes, as well as signing Manon, Kroko and Kelly. When The Athletic ranked each team's operations during the offseason, the Lakers ranked only 24th.

For Kelly, the good news is that the Lakers have had many successful cases of counterattacking from Exhibit 10 contracts. Dort, Caruso, Reeves and Duncan Robinson have all signed Exhibit 10 contracts, and eventually gained a foothold in the NBA and won a big contract.

But Kelly is already 28 years old, with limited room for improvement, and lacks the ability to shoot from outside, his NBA path is destined to be more difficult than others.

Kelly's story is a microcosm of NBA fringe players - constantly moving around, just to chase a stable NBA seat. From the Development League to the Overseas League, to the Exhibit 10 contract, he never gave up his dream.

The Lakers signed Kelly, and the low-cost scoring lottery tickets was obvious. If you succeed, you can strengthen the depth of the inside line, and if you fail, you will not lose any loss. But for Kelly, it might be his last chance to prove himself.