After Carmelo Anthony re-signed with the New York Knicks last off-season, the Los Angeles Lakers moved to Plan B which included acquiring Carlos Boozer on amnesty waivers. Although Julius Randle was expected to play major minutes his rookie season, Boozer was the starting power forward for head coach Byron Scott.
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With the Lakers having 15 players under contract and also reportedly signing Michael Frazier, Boozer is considered to be the top remaining free agent this off-season. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Boozer is intrigued by the interest he is receiving from China:
Hearing Carlos Boozer, arguably top UFA still available, is intrigued by interest he's getting from China but still angling for new NBA home
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 21, 2015
According to Sportando, Shandong is the team interested in signing the former Laker:
Shandong is the Chinese team in pursuit of unrestricted free agent Carlos Boozer, a source told Sportando
— Sportando (@Sportando) August 21, 2015
After a poor 2013-14 season with the Bulls where he lost minutes to Taj Gibson, Boozer was amnestied as Chicago eventually signed Pau Gasol. Despite starting 26 games for the Lakers, Boozer was moved to the bench where he was one of the few consistent players for Scott, averaging 11.6 points and 6.8 rebounds in 22.9 minutes.
While Boozer shared he was interested in returning to Los Angeles if they were competitive during his exit interview, the Lakers signed Brandon Bass to a two-year contract during free agency. With the return of Randle from injury, it was unlikely Boozer was going to return for a second season.
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