The Los Angeles Lakers have decided to use a ton of cap space this offseason. After LeBron James made the decision to leave in free agency, they now have space to sign a lot of players. They used a large amount of that to sign Walker Kessler to an extension after trading for him.
LA has already signed Austin Reaves to a max contract, and that was the first order of business they did in free agency. Now, the Lakers have decided to use the rest of their cap space this summer instead of letting it carry over.
Now, the Lakers have decided to sign Quentin Grimes to a sizable contract.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Lakers Sign Quentin Grimes to a Four-Year Deal
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers has signed Grimes to a four-year deal worth $60 million. He has a player option for the final year of this contract, as well. Grimes now gives the Lakers a viable scoring option off the bench, and they will use him as such.
This past season with the 76ers, Grimes averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He also played 75 games, answering any questions about his injury history. Now, the Lakers have decided that he is worth a big contract to be a key bench piece.
Grimes is someone they can trust to run the offense when Luka Doncic is on the bench resting. He can drive the ball and kick out to open shooters. In certain matchups, Grimes is good enough to close out games, as well. This is a solid signing on all fronts.
The Lakers have decided to just spend all of the money they were going to spend on James on other players. It is also very clear they will not be retaining any of the pending free agents they have. They have decided that a clean slate is what they want around the backcourt.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes looks to pass the ball in a game. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Los Angeles is Fighting to Stay Relevant in the Western Conference
These are moves that the Lakers had to make. They are fighting to stay afloat in the West. With several other teams getting better, and the Spurs and the Thunder still the kings of the conference, LA has to find a way to keep up. They are doing the best they can to do that.
The new core of Doncic, Reaves, and Kessler will have plenty of firepower offensively. Figuring out how to fill out the rest of the roster defensively will be the key to the rest of the offseason. Despite the guard signings they have made, they still need a couple of starting forwards.
Getting those two other starters will be a little tougher now that they don’t have a lot of funds to use. Rob Pelinka has decided to be aggressive, and fans cannot say he is sitting idle during free agency. He is doing everything he can to make the team a contender next year.
Lakers Continue Spending Spree by Signing Guard to Sizable Contract