Having officially acquired Dwight Howard today, the Lakers have likely made the last of their blockbuster moves in 2012. However, the team still remains active in filling out the rest of its roster. According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Sulia link), now that the dust has settled on the Howard trade, Devin Ebanks is expected to re-sign his qualifying offer to return to the Lakers. The club also appears likely to sign unrestricted free agent Jodie Meeks, says Kyler.
The Ebanks update isn't new, as we heard last month that the 22-year-old was prepared to sign his qualifying offer to remain a Laker. The team reportedly asked him to hold off on officially signing his deal, since he potentially could have landed a larger deal as part of a sign-and-trade as a piece in a Howard trade. But now that the deal has been completed without his involvement, the path is clear for him to re-sign with L.A.
The Lakers' interest in Meeks has also been well-documented. When I examined potential free agent wings for the team, I identified the former Sixer as perhaps the best fit among the available options, given his solid outside shooting and defense. However, Meeks reportedly wasn't interested in signing for the veteran's minimum, while the Lakers weren't interested in using their $3.09MM mid-level exception, so we'll have to see if one of the sides has budged.
meeks plays defense?