With no end to the NBA’s hiatus in sight, the Lakers intend to ask a small group of senior-level staffers to voluntarily defer 20% of their salaries, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN explains in a full report, the team is attempting to shield lower-level employees from losing out on any salary. The approach is similar to the one taken by the NBA last month, when the league reduced salaries for about 100 of its top-earning executives by 20%.
The Sixers briefly considered reducing salaries for their full-time employees last month before a PR backlash prompted the team to reverse course. Philadelphia’s cuts would have targeted at-will employees earning at least $50K per year. If the Lakers are focused only on higher-earning staffers and intend to defer – rather than altogether eliminate – that 20%, they likely won’t face the same kind of backlash the 76ers did.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Vanessa Bryant, the wife of late Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, told ESPN’s Rece Davis over the weekend that Bryant’s election to the Basketball Hall of Fame represents the “peak of his NBA career.” Bryant will be inducted in a 2020 class that includes Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and six others.
- Anthony Slater of The Athletic explores 10 potential uses for the Warriors‘ $17MM traded player exception, assuming the team is still in position to spend big on its roster this offseason. Some of Slater’s suggested targets (such as Thaddeus Young or Dewayne Dedmon) would be far more attainable than others (like Marcus Smart or Robert Covington).
- Jovan Buha of The Athletic takes a look at how a lower-than-anticipated salary cap in 2020/21 might affect the Clippers‘ chances of re-signing a handful of key free agents, including Montrezl Harrell and Marcus Morris.
Imagine Marcus Smart on the Warriors. I would absolutely love that I think he is the heart and soul of that Celtic team. He would add some serious Draymond Green- like Grit toughness and defense. That would be an amazing acquisition.
agreed
Warriors should get Kent Bazemore. He has developed a lot since his time there and might be a good bench option.
There’s no way they could afford Kent Bazemore. He’s a big money earner now and has developed into quite a player. Warriors looking for minimum salary guys mostly to fill out their bench. Yes they have the different tools available but I think they want to use those tools to get a stud.
$17 million is a good amount of money to build up the bench. You know a lot of teams will over look the warriors next year and regret it.
Who cares about the has-been warriors. They had their one minute of fame.
Lol.
Three Chamoionships in five years equals one minute of fame? Jealous much..