Jordan Farmar has returned to the NBA, according to reports, signing on to play with the Los Angeles Lakers next season on a veteran minimum one-year, $1 million contract.
Farmar spent last season playing overseas in Turkey for Anadolu Efes, to whom the Lakers must pay a buyout fee of about $500,000, although the buyout does not count against the salary cap.
The move brings back a familiar face to the Staples center, and familiarity is important to the tax-burdened Lakers. They will be rounding out their roster with cheap veterans, so players with experience playing under the Hollywood spotlight have a leg up.
Farmar talked with ESPN about his return to the NBA. "They knew about my deal overseas and really didn't push it earlier because they didn't think I'd be willing to give up that guaranteed money I had over there. I wanted to be back in the NBA, but more importantly, back with the Lakers. This is the only situation I would have taken a minimum deal with."
Last season Farmar signed a three-year, $10.2 million deal with the Turkish club. Farmar is a Los Angeles native and played his first four NBA seasons with the Lakers.
"I've been a Laker since I was born," Farmar said. "I grew up a Laker fan, so regardless of where I am or who I'm playing for, or what I'm doing in life, I'm always going to stay connected to what's going on here [in Los Angeles]."
Despite passing up on a lot more guaranteed money, Farmar said he missed home and longed to be back in the NBA.
"I would make good money overseas, but just being over there and staying up until 2, 3, 4 in the morning and watching every NBA game, or watching the Lakers go through what they were going through was just tough. "I missed my family, I missed being home and, ultimately, I missed being a Laker."
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