The Los Angeles Lakers smartly plan to weaponize next summer’s free agency with a generational war chest of $100 million in cap space plus possible ‘Godfather’ offers for four elite young defensive free agents.
When Ayton declines his player option and the Lakers allow the contracts of James, Hachimura, Vincent, and Kleber to expire, Los Angeles will have $100 million in cap space to sign their own and other teams’ free agents. With the salary cap going up next season, the Lakers will receive another $15 million in cap space under the first apron and $10 million more in cap space if they make a decision to be hard capped at the second apron.
It will be interesting to see what Mark Walter’s team decides regarding hard capping at first or second option. The Dodgers basically operated like the Warriors did, considering luxury taxes to be an investment and not a fine.
Bottom line, the Lakers should be able to create between $115 and $125 million in open cap space for their own and other teams’ free agents, depending on whether they opt to be hardcapped at first or second apron.
We saw last summer how free agency has significant pluses over trading for players as the Lakers were able to add Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart without giving up matching salaries or draft capital.
By not extending LeBron, the Lakers will be the only team with over $100 million in cap space and the only contender with more than $50 million in open cap space. Competition will be Clippers, Wizards, Jazz, Nets, Bulls.
The Lakers have smartly positioned themselves as the top free agency team for Jazz’ center Walker Kessler, Nuggets’ small forward Peyton Watson, Rockets’ power forward Tari Eason, and Blazers’ center Robert Williams.
Starting Center Walker Kessler
Walker Kessler, CE, 24-yrs, 7′ 2″, 7′ 6″ wingspan, 245 lbs, 1-yr $4.9M
14.4/10.8/3.0/1.8/1.4 in 30.8 mpg. 3P->1.2/1.6/75.0%, 3-yrs @ $25M
Walker Kessler will be the Lakers #1 target next summer. Kessler can not only protect the rim and defend in space but has also shown promising potential to stretch the floor with his 3-point shooting before his injury.
While he’s an RFA and will need a 3 or 4-year extension starting near $25 million per year, the Jazz have enough cap space that the Lakers can’t land Kessler with a Godfather offer so they’ll have to work out a sign-and-trade.
The Lakers best offer should be Dalton Knecht and their 2026, 2027, 2031, and 2033 unprotected first round draft picks. The Lakers already owe the Jazz picks 5–30 of their 2027 first rounder but can offer them picks 1–4.
Considering Kessler is coming off a major injury and will likely need a $75 to $100 million extension, Dalton Knecht and four first round draft picks should be a fair offer for Kessler, with a starting salary of $25 million.
For a Lakers team that’s lacked an elite rim protector since their 2020 championship, Walker Kessler would be their first big move to building a legitimate championship roster around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Kessler brings the Lakers three things they could not get from Ayton: rim protection, floor spacing, and physical domination. In the 5 games before his injury, Walker Kessler averaged 3.2 stocks and shot 6 of 8 from three.
Nobody expects Walker to average 3 stocks and shoot 75% from deep, but getting a 24-year old 7′ 2″, 245 lb center who can both protect the rim and stretch the floor with 3-point shooting is a championship move by Lakers.
Negotiating a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz for 24-year old center Walker Kessler should be the Los Angeles Lakers’ top priority next summer when they can offer Utah Dalton Knecht and four first round draft picks.
Backup Center Robert Williams
Robert Williams III, CE, 28-yrs, 6′ 9″, 7′ 6″ wingspan, 249 lbs, 1-yr $13.3M
5.9/6.2/1.0/1.4/0.6 in 16.2 mpg. 3P->0.0/0.4/11.1%, 3-yrs @ $15M
With a heavy-minutes starting center like Walker Kessler, the Lakers can gamble on a limited-minutes injury prone elite backup center like Robert Williams III, who can replicate Kessler’s elite defense in limited minutes.
Giving Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves an elite versatile and deep center rotation of Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III, and Jaxson Hayes would be the first step towards transforming the Lakers into a championship team.
There is nothing skill-wise or talent-wise that would have a greater positive impact on the Lakers’ ability to play better defense than being able to roll out 48 minutes of elite rim protection at center position every single game.
Robert Williams is clearly a calculated risk but with Walker Kessler starting and Jaxson Hayes in case of emergency, the Lakers would have quality and depth at center to limit Robert’s minutes to keep him fresh and healthy.
Williams is so impactful defensively he could easily be the difference maker in a playoff game or series. As a RFA, a healthy Williams could command a 2 or 3-year contract starting around $15 million per year.
Besides anchoring their defense and protecting the rim, the other reason why the Lakers need to invest heavily in an elite center rotation is they must be able to play double-big lineups with elite offensive rebounders.
To win a championship in this new era of fast, athletic, and physical NBA play, you need to control the boards offensively and defensively. Best way for Lakers to do that would be with Walker Kessler and Robert Williams.
Lakers’ top priority after signing-and-trading for Kessler should be to sign Williams III to a 2 or 3-year deal starting at $15 million per year. Kessler and Williams could quickly become the best center rotation in the NBA.
Starting Small Forward Peyton Watson
Peyton Watson, SF, 23-yrs, 6′ 8″, 7′ 1″ wingspan, 200 lbs, 1-yr $4.4M
14.2/4.7/1.6/0.9/1.0 in 27.9 mpg. 3P->1.1/3.1/35.6%, 3-yrs @ $25M
With the center rotation set, the Lakers have smartly positioned themselves to make ‘Godfather’ offers to a pair of elite young 3&D RFA wings who were not offered extensions because their franchise had other financial needs.
The first of these two 3&D RFA wings is the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson, a 23-year old athletic wing with elite defensive tools that Denver can no longer afford with the recent raises given to Christian Braun and Jabari Smith.
The Lakers envision Watson as their starting small forward of the future. He fills the Lakers’ need for point-of-attack wing defense, 3-point shooting, positional size, speed and quickness, and athleticism and physicality.
Defensively, Peyton Watson can capably defend three different positions. He defended threes 50% of his time, twos 25% of his time, and fours 25% of his time. He currently averages 1 block, 1 steal, and 1made three per game.
In his 4-years with the Nuggets, Peyton improved his points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals each season. He’s just become too expensive for the Nuggets to retain, which is why they did not offer him an extension.
The Lakers should be able to give Watson a ‘Godfather’ offer between $20 to $25 million that the Nuggets simply could not match considering they’re projected to be deep into the luxury tax and well over the second apron.
Watson should be offered as much as Braun, who received 5-years and $125 million, or Smith, who received 5-years and $122 million. But the Lakers could be smart to build in an overpay to assure their offer is not matched.
Peyton Watson would be the Lakers’ perfect starting 3&D small forward of the future. Los Angeles should make Watson a ‘Godfather’ offer of 3-years and $90 million to become their starting small forward of the future.
Starting Power Forward Tari Eason
Tari Eason, PF, 24-yrs, 6′ 8″, 7′ 2″ wingspan, 215 lbs, 1-yr $5.7M
12.1/5.7/1.5/0.6/1.1 in 23.7 mpg. 3P->2.2/4.5/48.8%, 3-yrs @ $25M
Like the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson, Houston Rockets’ forward Tari Eason is the second elite young 3&D RFA wing who was not offered an extension because their team had other financial needs that were more important.
While Eason has struggled with injuries in his young career, he finds himself as an RFA because he and the Rockets could not agree upon an extension even though they project to have $20 to $30 million in cap space.
The Rockets are in a better position with respect to Eason than the Nuggets were with Watson. Most prognosticators predict the Rockets would match most offers for Eason so the Lakers may need to over pay to get him.
The Lakers view Tari Eason as their starting power forward of the future. They love his defensive versatility as he guarded both forward positions and his potential as a volume 3-point shooter who complements Kessler.
They also love the front court pairing of Tari Eason with Peyton Watson. Having a pair of young, athletic, physical, 6′ 8″ wings with 7′ 1″ wingspans is something the Lakers have desperately coveted for more than a decade.
The big question is how much will the Rockets be willing to match to keep a player whom they likely do not view as a starter. Would 3-years and $75 million be too much? What about front loaded 3-years and $75 million?
Strategically, the Lakers can create enough cap space to re-sign Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes with raises and still have $100 million in cap space to sign and steal away other teams’ free agents.
The Lakers should give Tari Eason a ‘Godfather’ offer of 3-years and $90 million to become their starting power forward of the future and join Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III, and Peyton Watson as teammates.
“I’M BACK!”
Hey DJ!! Glad to have you back. Miss you, man!
TNX BB!