After trading Talen Horton-Tucker to the Jazz to land Patrick Beverley, the Lakers have significantly improved their defense and shooting.
Although the trade sacrificed youth by moving off Horton-Tucker, who is just 21 years old, there is a lot to like about the deal for Los Angeles. While this is a move that could likely help them win more games next season, it also gives their front office more flexibility for the future.
Based on the contracts currently on their roster, this move makes them well-positioned for the next off-season in 2023.
Here is why that matters, and what it means for the future of the organization:
Who is on the books?
Horton-Tucker held an $11.0 million player option in his deal for 2023-24, whereas Beverley’s $13.0 million comes off the books after 2022-23.
Russell Westbrook is on an expiring deal, and nearly everyone else on the roster was either acquired via a mid-level exception or a minimum deal and will come off the books after the upcoming season is over.
Otherwise, however, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the only notable players under contract after the upcoming season. Based on his extension, James is expected to earn $46.6 million. Davis will collect $40.6 million.
Aside from James and Davis, the front office only has to consider 2022 draftee Max Christie and Damian Jones. Christie and the Lakers inked a two-year partnership at the rookie minimum, which pays $1.7 million in 2023. Jones signed a two-year, veteran minimum but holds a player option and could opt out to earn more money elsewhere.
Only four teams (San Antonio, Indiana, Houston, Charlotte) currently have a smaller active cap sheet for 2023 than Los Angeles. That’s not bad for a team that has two perennial All-NBA candidates on the roster in James and Davis.
How much salary cap space do they have?
Let’s assume Jones opts out. Add up the money owed to James, Davis, and Christie and you get a number less than $89 million. Although the salary cap for this season is set at $123.6 million, it is expected to jump to $133 million in 2023.
That leaves $44.1 million in cap space for Los Angeles, and that number matters! Suddenly, the Lakers have enough cap space to sign a free agent to a max contract so long as he has less than ten years of experience.
With THT off the Lakers' books next summer, they could have as little as $88.9 million in salary for 2023-24. The projected salary cap is $133 million for 2023-24.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 25, 2022
For what it is worth: The path to creating a max contract for a player of any experience involves simply trading Christie without taking any salary back in return, such as draft compensation and/or a non-guaranteed deal.
But we’ll have a lot more on why that matters so much in just a second!
Who could they sign?
There are a few unrestricted free agent targets who could potentially earn something near a max deal in 2023.
But the most notable is Kyrie Irving, who agreed to a player option for 2022 and then becomes a free agent next off-season. Irving has been long linked to the Lakers to once again team up with LeBron. Irving could be an ideal third star next to James and Davis.
Here is what Nets beat writer Alex Schiffer recently said (via The Athletic):
“You talk to people over in Los Angeles, they still really feel like Kyrie Irving is coming to them next year. I’m curious to see how that goes over with recent events.”
However, remember: James, Davis, and Christie give the Lakers around $44.1 million in cap space. That is enough to sign anyone with less than ten years of experience.
Irving will have more than ten years of experience, though, so his max contract would start at $46.5 million in 2023-24. As such, Irving would either have to take less than the max or the Lakers would have to trade Christie.
Nets insider: “You talk to people over in Los Angeles, they still really feel like Kyrie is coming to them next year.” https://t.co/NAGFO447Mo
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) August 25, 2022
Of course, that means things would have to go awry in Brooklyn for Irving to want to leave. But we’ve seen such a thing happen several times before!
Another potential free agent of note includes Andrew Wiggins, although the Warriors may look to retain his services. Additionally, if they opt out of their deals, James Harden and Khris Middleton may become available. RJ Barrett, Jordan Poole, and Tyler Herro are expected to hit restricted free agency.
If they don’t want to go big-game hunting, they can always use the cap space on multiple deals for less than the max to add a few solid role players instead of chasing their third star.
Here is why that could all become irrelevant
As noted by Yossi Gozlan, everything we just talked about may not matter (via HoopsHype):
“Their cap space could get eliminated if they extend Beverley or trade Westbrook for players and also extend them.”
Now that they have Beverley as their projected point guard, perhaps the Lakers decide to trade Westbrook and draft picks to the Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
Hield would take $19.3 million from their cap space and the Lakers would also likely want to extend Turner for a multi-year deal if they are trading for his services.
It is hard to predict how the Lakers will use their extra spending money, but if there is one thing for certain, it’s that it’s better to have it than to want it.
