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The Los Angeles Lakers are locked in heading into what could be a wild free agency stretch starting at the end of the month. Following their blockbuster trade to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, the Lakers are left with a thin roster but some money to spend in a push to acquire new talent.
Not surprisingly, after the team added Davis to pair with LeBron James and even kept Kyle Kuzma, their attention has reportedly turned to a few big names. But one topic of discussion has been whether or not the Lakers will be able to afford to pay a top-tier player to add to their current mix.
During a recent segment on ESPN’s The Jump, NBA reporter Dave McMenamin offered interesting insight on the situation, as Rachel Nichols revealed.
“There’s two ways they can go. If you can clear as much cap space as possible, you can go after a max-level guy. Maybe not the full-max, but it’s not necessarily a full-max anyways because the guys they’d be going after don’t have 10 years experience in the league thus far, they’d be looking for a two-plus-one deal. So they would be making a financial sacrifice probably in the $3-$4 million range per year which is significant, but it wouldn’t be in terms of giving up all that money of a four-year window.” McMenamin stated.
This is a noteworthy topic due to the fact that if the Pelicans opt not to wait 30 days to process the trade, it will drop the Lakers’ potential salary cap down $5 million. Beyond that, Anthony Davis has a $4 million trade bonus which he may not waive, and if that’s the case, the number takes another hit.
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With all that said, if the Lakers are in a spot where they can land a top player by convincing them to take $3-$4 million less on a two-plus-one deal, it’s surely a much easier sell than a full-max. At the very least, it could put them in the mix for a few of the top free agents.
Lakers’ Salary Cap & Free Agency Outlook
Shortly after the Davis trade was processed, ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down the salary cap situation for the team. As he pointed out, the Lakers will have either $27.8 million or $32.5 million, with the Davis $4 million trade bonus lingering as well.
The number would drop down to $23.3 million if the trade happens on July 6 and Davis’ bonus is added, so regardless there would need to be some work done by the Lakers. On that same note, the argument for a player to sign a shorter deal for a chance to win a title while still getting a max-level contract after should be appealing in the eyes of some.
Lakers’ Top Free-Agent Targets & Reason for Optimism
GettyKyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics celebrates against the Indiana Pacers.
During the same segment on ESPN’s The Jump, McMenamin rattled off a few noteworthy names who the Lakers could potentially target. While he didn’t necessarily state that these options would be the team’s primary focus, each of them has been linked to Los Angeles previously.
“… whether it be Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, or you split it up. Going after a guy like that could give you insurance against LeBron having to miss some time or Anthony Davis having to miss some time and still being able to get to the postseason.” McMenamin said.
The appeal for any top-tier free agent of joining the Lakers is obvious, but it even goes beyond playing alongside LeBron and Davis while having a chance to win a title. James, who’s 34 years old currently, has two years left on his contract along with a player option for the 2021-22 season, per Spotrac.
Assuming he remains under contract for those three seasons, it sets up the other star to be in a position to run the show in Los Angeles alongside Davis after James’ deal is up. One thing that would be fairly clear is that a free agent who signs now would join Davis as the future faces of the Lakers franchise in a post-LeBron era.
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