Back in January, the Lakers picked up a disabled player exception for power forward Jordan Hill, who underwent surgery on his left hip. However, a team source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times that the club plans to let their $1.78MM exception expire without being used.
The Lakers didn't use the exception prior to the February 21st trade deadline but they still had the option of using it to sign a free agent. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly suggested they will stay put with their current 14-player roster and their push to get an exception for Hill was believed to be a precautionary move from the get-go. Los Angeles' payroll already stands at a hefty $100MM for 2012/13.