LAKERS CAP SPACE THIS SUMMER?$100M UNDER THE FIRST APRON IS POSSIBLE!There have been several articles projecting the Lakers to have around $50M in cap space next summer. By my calculations, the Lakers can create as much as $102.3M in cap space under the first apron next… pic.twitter.com/loRmlMZMTw— LakerTom (@LakerTom) February 4, 2026
We will only have around 50 mil or so to sign other teams free agents with because of the 166 mile salary cap and the way cap holds work. Austin’s hold will be 150 % of his current salary or around 22 mil. Ayton and Smart’s cap holds will be 190 % of their current salaries. The way you use the remaining cap space under the apron is by signing your own free agents after you have signed the free agents from other teams.
Michael, you are wrong. Read the post. I have included the cap holds for Reaves and Smart. Everybody else Lakers can renounce. They will then have over $100M in cap space to sign their own and other team’s free agents. Please check the math and tell me where I am wrong. Thanks.
The reason that reported 50 mil cap space projection is out there is because you can’t go over the projected 166 salary cap with other teams free agents, with the exception of using the MLE. The only way to go over that 166 figure is by signing our own free agents. So we could bring in 50 mil in free agents plus we could use the MLE and then re-sign our own free agents to use the remaining dollar under the apron.
Thanks, Michael.
Lakers have $76.8M in contracts and $31.2M in cap holds for Reaves and Smart for a total of $108M. Cap is $166.0M, which means the Lakers will thus only have $58.0M in cap space to spend on other teams’ free agents. Might limit them to two players for $30M.
But cap space can be better utilized by taking on a contract in a trade without sending out any player. Lakers may re-sign somebody for 1 year to have a contract that they’re willing to trade during next summer. Can’t have 3 draft picks and no tradable salaries. Lakers need to have matching salaries to move those 3 picks.
What’s really disconcerting to me is how this could undermine Luka’s desire to stay with the Lakers. If Pelinka really does nothing but create space for a couple of buyout candidates, then Mark Walter should immediately fire his foolish ass.