The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024 offseason is off to an encouraging begin.
They employed a bright young coach in JJ Redick. They landed top-10 prospect Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They made history by uniting LeBron James together with his eldest son, Bronny James, with their No. 55 choice. D’Angelo Russell, probably the largest domino of their offseason, opted in, giving them a mid-sized expiring contract to potentially trade.
Then, on Saturday, almost 5 hours forward of a 5 p.m. (ET) deadline, LeBron James opted out of his contract with the intention of re-signing with the Lakers, in accordance with The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The Athletic previously reported the Lakers need James to return and had been open to providing him no matter sort of contract he prefers.
James opting out is one other win for the Lakers, which may save a minimum of $1.5 million on their cap sheet by him not exercising his $51.4 million participant possibility for subsequent season. (The trade-off for James is he’s eligible so as to add a no-trade clause to his contract, which might permit him to manage his future.)
James could be prepared to take a good steeper pay reduce on high of that if it permits the Lakers to open up the non-taxpayer midlevel exception (price roughly $12.9 million) for the precise sorts of gamers, in accordance with Bleacher Report. James’ agent, Klutch Sports activities CEO Wealthy Paul, instructed ESPN his shopper would solely be prepared to take a reduction for an “affect participant,” with James Harden, Klay Thompson and Jonas Valančiūnas as reported names who’d match the invoice. The non-taxpayer midlevel exception could be a major pay reduce for Harden and Thompson, particularly.
Nevertheless, there is mutual interest between the Lakers and Thompson, as The Athletic’s Charania and Anthony Slater first reported.
Thompson, a Southern California native, is the son of Mychal Thompson, who performed for the Showtime Lakers from 1987 by means of 1991 and is the crew’s present radio colour commentator. The youthful Thompson, 34, is a four-time NBA champion and one of many best shooters of all time. Thompson has spent his 13 professional seasons with the Golden State Warriors, however the relationship has fractured to the purpose the place Thompson is prone to depart. The Lakers, Dallas Mavericks and LA Clippers are all pursuing him.
If James takes a reduction for the Lakers to entry their full non-taxpayer midlevel exception, the Lakers can be hard-capped on the first apron of $178.7 million. Which means James must take a $16-plus million low cost together with his beginning wage at about simply over $33 million for the 2024-25 season. The most certainly pay reduce situation could be James signing a two-year cope with a participant possibility for 2025-26, permitting him to choose out in 2025 and re-sign for more cash, in accordance with league sources. The Lakers additionally may carry out a smaller salary-dump commerce (or two) to create extra monetary wiggle room and permit James to take a smaller lower.
If the Lakers don’t land a star or high-level starter with their non-taxpayer midlevel exception, James will signal the max, in accordance with ESPN. If LeBron re-signs at his max for 2024-25 (roughly $49.9 million), the Lakers could have roughly $182.3 million in dedicated wage. That places them lower than $8 million below the second apron ($189.5 million). James additionally needs to have his contract resolved earlier than he begins training on the U.S. males’s Olympic basketball minicamp on July 6 in Las Vegas.
No matter what occurs with James, the Lakers are well-positioned to improve their roster in the event that they so select. The proverbial ball is of their courtroom concerning how the remainder of this offseason unfolds.
Lakers vp of basketball operations and basic supervisor Rob Pelinka tempered expectations earlier within the week — twice — by saying trades are more durable to execute below the NBA’s new collective bargaining settlement. At face worth, that’s true, contemplating the brand new punitive restrictions of the primary and second aprons.
On the identical time, the commerce exercise over the previous week, particularly close to the highest of the Western Convention, paints a distinct actuality. In that point, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for defensive ace Alex Caruso, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for No. 8 pick Rob Dillingham, the Denver Nuggets traded up for DaRon Holmes II and salary-dumped Reggie Jackson to attempt to retain Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Dallas Mavericks salary-dumped Tim Hardaway Jr. to allow them to preserve starter Derrick Jones Jr. (or signal Thompson) and the New Orleans Pelicans made a shrewd deal for former Lakers goal Dejounte Murray.
The remainder of the West is discovering methods to make trades that enhance their rosters or act as precursors to different strikes. It’s now on the Lakers to do the identical.
They’ve the property to make a notable commerce. Russell’s $18.7 million contract affords them a degree of flexibility when it comes to the sorts of gamers they’ll pursue. Add in a single or each of their future first-round picks, as many as three decide swaps and the mid-sized salaries of Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and/or Gabe Vincent, and the Lakers can get within the dialog for nearly any non-star (and even some lower-end stars). That’s, once more, earlier than factoring within the potential addition of Thompson or one other high-impact participant for his or her non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
So far as trades go, the Lakers touchdown a 3rd star in a deal seems unlikely, barring an unexpected one secretly turning into out there. Donovan Mitchell is reportedly prone to signal a contract extension with Cleveland, which might rule him out. Trae Young’s change from Klutch Sports activities to CAA additionally makes a commerce to the Lakers much less doubtless, as The Athletic previously reported. Murray is now in New Orleans and off the board. Maybe Darius Garland turns into out there, however he’s a transparent step down from the Mitchell and Younger tier of stars.
Nonetheless, there are good choices doubtlessly on the market. Wings corresponding to Portland’s Jerami Grant, former Lakers participant Kyle Kuzma and the Nets’ duo of Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson are anticipated to be out there on the commerce market, in accordance with league sources. They aren’t the largest needle-movers, however any of these 4 gamers would improve the Lakers’ perimeter protection, frontcourt dimension and/or flooring spacing. Grant, for his half, would examine every of these containers; he’s quietly shot 40-plus p.c on 3s in back-to-back seasons in Portland.
The Lakers roster, as presently constructed, just isn’t adequate to come back out of the Western Convention. They’ll win a spherical and possibly even two if the bracket breaks of their favor, however they’ve too many holes in comparison with the remainder of the highest of the West, particularly on the wing. Their perimeter dimension, protection and general velocity and athleticism are missing in comparison with their competitors. James and Davis made it recognized not too long ago they believe this roster needs upgrades.
The Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks and Pelicans all have higher rosters than those they completed final season. Denver’s standing may change if it loses Caldwell-Pope in free company and the Clippers will doubtless fall off in the event that they lose Paul George, however the bigger level is the remainder of the West is revamping, doubtlessly creating much more distance between them and the Lakers. If the Lakers are as critical about competing for championships with James and Davis as they declare to be, they need to bolster this supporting forged.
Essentially the most speedy complication to this effort is the roster crunch the Lakers are dealing with. Assuming LeBron James re-signs, they’ll have 14 gamers below contract after Russell, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish opted in they usually drafted Knecht and Bronny James. That’s earlier than factoring of their different free brokers (Max Christie, Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie) or any potential free brokers.
The Lakers tendered a qualifying provide to Christie to formally make him a restricted free agent, crew sources confirmed to The Athletic. The entrance workplace want to retain Christie and envision him as a rotation participant subsequent season, in accordance with these sources. Nevertheless, the Lakers would wish to clear further cash and a roster spot to signal each Christie and one other participant with the non-taxpayer midlevel exception.
Had Russell opted out, the Lakers would have had much less optionality on the commerce market. However with him opting in, James eager about taking a pay reduce for the precise free agent and the Lakers armed with a number of mid-sized salaries, two first-round picks and a number of decide swaps to commerce, there is no such thing as a excuse for Los Angeles to not dramatically enhance its roster with an enormous transfer or two over the subsequent few days.
(Prime photograph: Ronald Martinez / Getty Photos)
