Who is Dwayne Bacon? Evaluating his career trajectory so far in the NBA

The LA Lakers are trying to replace their bench with younger players. The youngblood who recently signed with the team is none other than Dwayne Bacon.

He used to suit up for the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets before signing with LA. What started out as a workout eventually turned into an opportunity for Bacon to sign with the purple and gold.

With that said, let's take a closer look at Dwayne Bacon's career so far.

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Who is Dwayne Bacon?

Orlando Magic v Atlanta Hawks

Dwayne Bacon is a 27-year-old shooting guard in the NBA who recently signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Before that, he played for the Orlando Magic where spent one season. For the majority of his NBA career, we've seen Bacon put on a Charlotte Hornets jersey.

Bacon was the 40th pick in the second round, initially drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2017. He was immediately dealt to the Charlotte Hornets, where he would spend his first four years. During his rookie season, Bacon averaged 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds while playing 13.5 minutes per game.

However, in his next two seasons, he showed marked improvement. Bacon managed to bump his numbers up to 6.5 points, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while playing 17.7 minutes per game.

In the 2020-21 NBA season, Bacon played for the Orlando Magic. This was the season when the league saw more of what Bacon could do on the court. He's an efficient scorer who loves slashing and driving in the lane for a lay-in or a dunk. Bacon also has a jumpshot in his bag of tricks, however, it's clear that he prefers attacking the basket more.

While playing for the Magic, Bacon averaged 10.9 points, 1.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds. In terms of shooting percentage, his output was relatively average, shooting 40% from the field. Despite his significant improvement on the court, Bacon was traded to the New York Knicks. However, he never played for the team.

According to Hoops Rumors, before the 2021-22 season started, the Knicks waived Bacon, which made him miss the entire season. Naturally, no player that young would want to sit out an entire season. Bacon took matters into his own hands and found himself playing in France in 2021.

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Dwayne Bacon's NBA return; signing with the LA Lakers

As of September 26 earlier this year, the LA Lakers officially signed Dwayne Bacon. He was initially invited to workout with the squad over the summer. Clearly, the Lakers were satisfied with his performance that they decided to offer him a contract.

This was obviously a smart decision by the Lakers. Last season, their bench was filled with middle-aged players. Almost the majority of the players last season couldn't stay healthy or finish a full game due to their lack of stamina. Acquiring a bunch of young players as their second unit will come in handy in the long run.