The Lakers are positioning themselves to pull off an extreme summer makeover by leveraging their 3 first round draft picks and $100 million in cap space to re-sign their own and steal away other teams’ free agents.
Pulling off this blockbuster summer will require discipline and patience and could sacrifice any realistic chance of the Lakers winning rings during Luka’s first full season and LeBron’s likely final season in purple and gold. The harsh reality is the Lakers probably need more help to transform them into a championship contender this season than they could reasonably acquire with their current trading chips. Better to focus on next summer.
Recent reports confirm the Lakers do not plan to trade their one tradable first round draft pick midseason to be able to offer 3 unprotected first round draft picks in a mega trade for Giannis on draft day next summer. Frankly, I’m not a fan of the Lakers using all their draft capital and $60 million of their depth to match salaries to trade for a 30-year old Giannis. I’d rather the Lakers use those trading chips to build OKC-quality depth.
The Lakers have a unique opportunity because of their decision not to give LeBron an extension last summer. They could shrewdly create $100 million in cap space to sign their own and possibly steal other teams’ free agents.
Mark Walter is smartly prioritizing free agency over trades, seeking to fast track surrounding Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves with legitimate two-way roster depth that did not cost valuable draft capital and matching salaries.
The Lakers should leverage their 3 first round draft picks and $100 million in cap space to execute an extreme summer makeover that delivers elite defensive talent and transforms the Lakers into legitimate contenders.
LAKERS FOCUSING ON CAP SPACE NEXT SUMMER!
…
The Lakers currently plan to allow the contracts of James, Hachimura, Vincent, Kleber, and Ayton to expire at the end of the season to create $100 million in cap space to re-sign their own and other teams’ free agents.
While teams generally trade expiring contracts to avoid losing players to free agency for nothing, the Lakers are deliberately allowing 5 players to walk away for nothing to create $100 million in cap space next summer.
While this summer’s free agency class does not include any superstars, there are multiple quality UFA’s and a few elite RFA’s for whom the Lakers could make ‘Godfather’ offers and/or ultimately do a sign-and-trade.
With LeBron no longer under contract, the Lakers would likely waive Bronny so he could try to continue his career with another team. That would then leave the Lakers with 8 remaining players under contract.
5 players (Doncic, Vanderbilt, LaRavia, Knecht, and Thiero) are currently on long-term deals with 3 players (Reaves, Smart, and Hayes) slated to be given new deals with raises and two-way Nick Smith Jr. a new contract.
With the first apron for next season tentatively projected at $210 million, the Lakers should have $95 million in open cap space left after spending $115 million on the 9 players under contract, including Nick Smith Jr.
They plan to use that $95 million to sign RFA’s Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason, and UFA Robert Williams III. The Kessler trade should ultimately turn into a S&T involving Dalton Knecht and 3 picks.
Finally, the Lakers will also be looking to add critically important backups like Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Kris Middleton as unrestricted free agents from the NBA buyout market as teams approach the February trade deadline.
REBUILDING LAKERS AROUND LUKA & AUSTIN!
…
The Lakers plan to use their 3 first round picks and $100 million cap space to re-sign Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes and steal RFA’s Walker Kessler, Tari Eason, and Peyton Watson with ‘Godfather’ offers.
That’s the kind of move fans should expect from the Mark Walter Lakers. While trades have become the NBA’s preferred path to rebuilding, building via free agency is faster and doesn’t cost matching salaries or draft picks.
No better way to ease concerns about the Lakers’ starting lineup’s defensive woes with a Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves backcourt than to surround them with three elite defenders that play with athleticism and physicality.
The Lakers plan to give the Jazz, Rockets, and Nuggets $100 million offers their teams would be unable or unwilling to match starting around $25 million per year for RFA’s Walker Kessler, Tari Eason, and Payton Watson.
To strengthen their defense and front court size, the Lakers should also sign Trailblazer UFA Robert Williams III, an elite rim protector and defender in space who’d be the perfect backup center to Walker Kessler,
Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, and Tari Eason would give the Lakers starting lineup three elite two-way players with size, athleticism, and physicality to complement offense-first Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Meanwhile, Robert Williams III, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Kris Middleton should give the Lakers bench a massive boost both offensively and defensively. The Lakers’ 10-man rotation would be as deep and diverse as the Thunder.
Strategically, the Mark Walter Lakers plan to fast track a path to an NBA championship by using free agency instead of trades to rapidly build a deep and diverse roster without giving up draft capital or matching salaries.
Comments