Lakers sign ex-Arizona star Stanley Johnson to second 10-day contract

After an impressive debut, Stanley Johnson is back on the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers announced Thursday that they’ve signed the former Arizona standout to a second 10-day contract as the team deals with COVID-related roster shortages.

Johnson signed a previous 10-day deal with the Lakers on Christmas Eve and averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 25 minutes across five games. Johnson made three starts during that span.

The Lakers waited until January 6 to bring Johnson back on board because they couldn’t use the NBA’s hardship allowance to re-sign him right away.

Johnson, a Southern California native, made his debut with the Lakers on Christmas and immediately impressed with his defense and overall energy.

An NBA team can only enter into a 10-day contract with the same player twice in a season, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, which means if the Lakers want to keep Johnson around past Jan. 16, they’ll have to extend him through the end of the season.

In essence, Johnson will be fighting for his job the next 10 days.

The Lakers return to action Friday when they host the Atlanta Hawks at 8:00 p.m. MST on ESPN.