The Lakers signed a free agent contract Anton Watson to an Exhibition 10 contract tweets Dan Voike of The Athletic.
Watson, who will turn 26 in October, was the 54th pick in the 2024 draft. He spent the 2024/25 season — his first season — under a two-way contract with Boston and New York, nine brief NBA appearances with the Knicks (he played 22 minutes in total).
The former Gonzaga standout spent training camp and the preseason with the Lakers last year before being waived before the regular season, and that could happen again in 2026. Assuming that happens, he would be eligible for a bonus of up to $91,000 — on top of his regular G League salary — if he spends at least 60 days with the Coachella Valley Lakers.
Exhibit 10 transactions can also be converted into bilateral contracts. While Los Angeles does not currently have a two-way opening, all two-way deals are not guaranteed, so Watson could theoretically be promoted if he impresses the team in the coming weeks. Of course, there’s always the chance that he won’t stick around that long, as so many players are quickly dropped at this time of year.
Watson played 50 combined games with the Lakers’ NBAGL affiliate last season, averaging 11.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists (against just 0.7 turnovers), 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks in 27.2 minutes per contest. His slash line was .500/.332/.697.
Watson most recently played for the Lakers Summer League team, averaging 7.9 ppg, 2.9 ppg, 2.0 ppg, 0.7 ppg and 0.9 ppg at 20.7 mpg in seven combined outings.