Even the most optimistic of fans likely would not have expected Wenyen Gabriel to have as big of a role as he did in the final weeks of the regular season. After struggling to get on the court in his first games in Los Angeles, Gabriel eventually cracked the rotation — and even the starting lineup — amidst mounting injuries to play a big role to close the season.
His play was so impressive that it earned him a contract from the Lakers, a two-year deal with a player option for the 2022-23 season. With his future potentially set for next season, Gabriel is heading into this offseason with a few focused goals for improvement following his exit meeting with general manager Rob Pelinka and senior basketball advisor Kurt Rambis last week.