The reported deal sending star big man Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers is expected to be completed on July 6.
This piece of information comes to us via The Athletic’s Sam Amick and could have wide-ranging ramifications on free agency.
There’s been questions over whether the Lakers actually knew the salary cap ramifications that comes with finalizing the trade this early in the offseason.
As Amick notes, Los Angeles will have either $23.7 or $27.7 million in cap room. That depends on whether Davis waives his $4 million trade kicker.
Needless to say, the Lakers no longer have the room to add a max-contract player in free agency. They might be looking to make room here soon, but it seems unlikely.
If Los Angeles and New Orleans had held off until late July, the former would have had room for a max-contract player to go with Davis and LeBron James.
Another report from ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes that there was no confusion within the Lakers’ front office when they pulled off the reported deal last weekend.
Stay tuned. Things will get interesting on this front here in the next couple weeks.