Sports teams with massive followings in the biggest markets in the United States always enter the season with the same championship expectations from their fanbase. The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t win the NBA Finals last season, which means there will be even more pressure to improve upon last year’s Conference Finals appearance. That’s just the way it is for one of the most accomplished NBA franchises of all time.
But there are certain limitations to what a team can and cannot do with their rosters. That includes the Lakers, who, with cap holds on several players, will begin the offseason already over the spending limit. Not to mention, they have just seven players under contract for next season, with eight roster spots to fill.
There are ways the Lakers could free up some spending space by renouncing the rights to players like D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Lonnie Walker IV, all of whom combine for $65.1 million, but that also leaves the team without three key contributors from last season and no one to replace them.
By negotiating with their own free agents, like the above trio or Austin Reaves, the Lakers are allowed to go past the NBA’s spending limit, but they are not allowed to go over the budget for players who are not under team control, like Kyrie Irving.
For these reasons, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski doesn’t anticipate the Lakers pursuing a star player next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis this offseason. Here’s what the NBA insider had to say during a recent appearance on Get Up:
“There’s no big game hunting out there for this Laker organization. In this league right now, with a new collective bargaining agreement, you can’t really pay three max superstars and expect to have any depth on your roster. It’s going to look a lot the same, but think about a team next year that goes the entire season with Hachimura, with Reaves as your starter. They’ve got a chance to be very, very competitive in the West.”
Adrian Wojnarowski on Los Angeles Lakers
Instead of trying to go all out for Kyrie Irving, possibly offering him the max or something close, many expect the Lakers to prioritize keeping Austin Reaves while trying to find a more consistent point guard than D’Angelo Russell. Perhaps this avenue even leads them to Chris Paul if he becomes a free agent.
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