Since Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka assumed control of the Lakers’ front office early in 2017, they’ve been hoarding cap room for the summer of 2018, signing free agents to one-year contracts last offseason and acquiring players on expiring deals at the trade deadline. It’s not a lock that the Lakers use all that cap room on long-term signings this summer, but that will be one of several scenarios on the table for the franchise as it resumes its pursuit of star players.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Lakers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:
Guaranteed Salary
- Luol Deng ($18,000,000)
- Lonzo Ball ($7,461,960)
- Brandon Ingram ($5,757,120)
- Kyle Kuzma ($1,689,840)
- Josh Hart ($1,655,160)
- Total: $34,564,080
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Tyler Ennis ($1,656,092)1
- Ivica Zubac ($1,544,951)2
- Thomas Bryant ($1,378,242)3
- Total: $4,579,285
Restricted Free Agents
- Julius Randle ($5,564,134 qualifying offer / $12,447,726 cap hold): Bird rights
- Travis Wear ($1,699,698 qualifying offer / $1,699,698 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Andre Ingram ($1,537,872 qualifying offer / $1,537,872 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $15,685,296
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Brook Lopez ($33,963,525): Bird rights
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($21,295,073): Non-Bird rights
- Channing Frye ($14,099,733): Bird rights
- Isaiah Thomas ($11,896,651): Bird rights
- No. 25 overall pick ($1,746,957)
- Total: $83,001,939
Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000
Projected Cap Room: $48,084,682
- A handful of wild cards will impact how much cap room the Lakers have – or need – this summer. Will they waive and stretch Deng? Will they re-sign Randle or any other free agents? Will they bring back players on non-guaranteed contracts? For our projection, we’ve assumed they keep all five players on guaranteed contracts along with cap holds for Randle, their first-round pick, and five empty roster spots. That results in a total team salary of $52,915,318.
- If landing two star free agents looks like a realistic possibility, Los Angeles could create the room necessary for a pair of max contracts. For instance, by waiving and stretching Deng, renouncing Randle, and trading their first-round pick, the Lakers could create $70,423,432 in space. Ultimately, their approach to the offseason may be dictated by how their conversations with those top free agents go.
Footnotes:
- Ennis’ salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 5.
- Zubac’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
- Bryant’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 5.
Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
What are your guesses for what the Lakers will do this off-season guys?
Sign Paul George. Fail to sign another max guy. Probably re-sign Randle. Sign a mid-range FAs like Greg Monroe and Tyreke Evans. Should compete for the #8 seed next year.
I think this is a very realistic scenario for the Lakers. Even though they might compete for the playoffs, I don’t see Paul George being enough to actually get them into the playoffs. But it would make them a team to pay attention to. I also think they are well served by keeping Randle
Lebron, Kawhi, and PG come to LA with the intention of one thing… beating GS.
The only way they can beat the Warriors is with a super team. It says above they could create 70 million in space that’s enough for these three guys Plus what they already have and the rest minimum contracts. Maybe even veteran guys for the veteran minimum like the Warriors do.
The max is about $35mil, so they can only sign 2 of those– and that includes renouncing Randle. But Randle is almost as valuable– especially considering James, Leonard and George, as well as Ingram, are all SFs!
To sign Randle at $15-20mil I think will take most of the offseason for all offers to come in.
Meantime they will or will not get a call, fairly early, about a multiplayer FA arrangement because the big FAs are all likely to be in communication.
If not they should sign the first max player that wants them, then match for Randle.
We need a legit backup two-way point guard.
Those guys are actually pretty tough to find. Look at Rozier in Boston who knew he was this good. But seriously tough to find quality backup point guard that’s why Ty Lawson and Ray Felton keep sticking around.
Any chance they trade deng?