The Los Angeles Lakers have announced the signing of forwards Blake Hinson and Armel Traore to two-way contracts, according to Rob Pelinka, Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager. The specifics of the contracts have not been disclosed.
Hinson, standing 6’8″ and weighing 230 pounds, played all 33 games last season for the University of Pittsburgh. He averaged 18.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, shooting an impressive 42.1 percent from beyond the arc, the best in the ACC.
He also ranked second in the conference in 3-point field goals made and third in scoring, earning a spot on the All-ACC First Team. Before his time at Pittsburgh, Hinson spent two seasons at the University of Mississippi, totaling averages of 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game over his four college seasons.
Traore, who is 6’8″ and 210 pounds, played 33 games (with 28 starts) for ADA Blois in the LNB Élite league last season, where he averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Over three seasons playing in France for ADA Blois, Metropolitans 92, and AS Monaco, the 21-year-old has averaged 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.
Hinson will don jersey No. 36, while Traore will wear No. 37. Both players will be part of the Lakers’ summer league team for 2024.
Dalton Knecht had to wait far longer than anticipated at the Barclays Center in New York on Wednesday night, leaving many puzzled. However, the Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on the situation and made one of the most valuable selections of the NBA Draft’s first round.
The Lakers chose Knecht with the 17th overall pick, marking one of the draft’s biggest surprises. Despite expectations that the Tennessee standout would be a top-10 pick following his impressive SEC performance this past season, he fell to the Lakers. Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek had even projected him to go as high as 6th in her final mock draft earlier that day.
