No team had a more disappointing 2021/22 season than the Lakers, who entered the year as the favorites to come out of the Western Conference. After an underwhelming but respectable 21-19 start, the Lakers improbably won just 10 of their next 40 games, missing out on not just the playoffs but the play-in tournament.
Injuries to superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis played a part in the Lakers’ struggles, but it’s not like the team was dominant when James, Davis, and Russell Westbrook were all available. A lack of reliable role players and an inability to maximize Westbrook’s strengths contributed to a letdown of a season in Los Angeles, and head coach Frank Vogel became the fall guy, losing his job at the end of the regular season.
While the Lakers would presumably like to make significant roster changes this offseason, reshaping the roster around James and Davis, their ability to do so will be limited, since they project to be a taxpaying team even with just a handful of players under contract, and don’t have any picks in this year’s draft.
The Lakers’ Offseason Plan:
A year after trading away Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and their first-round pick for Westbrook, the Lakers would be thrilled to pull off the inverse of that deal, sending out Westbrook’s expiring contract for a handful of less expensive rotation players and a draft pick.
Unfortunately, Westbrook’s stock has cratered in the last 12 months and it’s unlikely the Lakers will be able to get anything decent back for him unless they’re willing to include their 2027 and/or 2029 first-round picks (the only two they can currently move, due to the Stepien Rule) or unless they’re open to taking on a significant chunk of unwanted multiyear salary.
With the Lakers focused on maximizing their title window for as long as the 37-year-old James is still playing at an All-NBA level, it’s not out of the question that they’d further mortgage their future by attaching a couple first-rounders to Westbrook to get immediate help.
However, the front office has projected patience in recent months, and the team has reportedly asked its head coaching candidates how they would use the 33-year-old point guard. That’s a sign that the Lakers are leaning toward hanging onto Westbrook – at least for now – and perhaps revisiting a trade at the 2023 deadline or letting his $47MM+ salary come off the cap next summer.
If James, Davis, and Westbrook are staying, the Lakers will have about $130MM on their books for just three players, eliminating any possibility of cap space and almost certainly preventing the club from using its full, non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Even just filling out the rest of the roster with minimum-salary players would take team salary above the projected luxury tax line.
That leaves a small handful of assets for the Lakers to use for potential roster upgrades. A trade package that includes Talen Horton-Tucker and/or Kendrick Nunn is one option. Neither player’s value is especially high right now, but Horton-Tucker is still young enough (21) to have some upside and Nunn, whose $5.25MM expiring contract isn’t onerous, is a bounce-back candidate if he’s healthy. Adding a future first-round pick to that duo would further sweeten the pot.
It’s also worth noting that the Lakers still have about $4.4MM available to send out in trades before the 2022/23 league year begins in July. That money could be used to grease the wheels on a Horton-Tucker/Nunn deal or to trade back into the second round of the draft.
With the full mid-level exception, the bi-annual exception, and sign-and-trade acquisitions likely off the table for the Lakers due to their proximity to the tax line, they’ll probably be limited to the taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum-salary contracts in free agency.
Last year’s free agent haul showed the dangers of leaning on those limited assets — the team used its taxpayer MLE on Nunn, who didn’t play a single game due to a leg injury, and many of its minimum-salary signings were busts, including DeAndre Jordan, Trevor Ariza, and Kent Bazemore.
However, minimum-salary additions like Malik Monk, Avery Bradley, and Stanley Johnson worked out well, as did the signing of undrafted rookie Austin Reaves. It’ll be easier said than done, but the front office will be looking to improve its hit rate on its low-cost signings in 2022/23, finding more Monks and fewer Jordans.
The Lakers’ head coaching search also shouldn’t be overlooked as one of the most important decisions of the team’s offseason. Identifying a candidate who is capable of managing superstar personalities, getting more out of Westbrook, handling the Los Angeles spotlight, and guiding the team back to contention will be a challenge.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap figures are based on the league’s latest projection ($122MM) for 2022/23.
Guaranteed Salary
- LeBron James ($44,474,988)
- Anthony Davis ($37,980,720)
- Talen Horton-Tucker ($10,260,000)
- Total: $92,715,708
Player Options
Russell Westbrook ($47,063,478): Bird rights- Kendrick Nunn ($5,250,000): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $52,313,478
Team Options
- Stanley Johnson ($2,351,521): Non-Bird rights
- Wenyen Gabriel ($1,878,720): Non-Bird rights 1
- Total: $4,230,241
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Austin Reaves ($1,563,518)
- Total: $1,563,518
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
- Mason Jones ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Mac McClung ($1,616,044 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Total: $3,232,088
Draft Picks
- None
Extension-Eligible Players
Note: These are players who are either already eligible for an extension or will become eligible before the 2022/23 season begins.
- LeBron James (veteran)
- Russell Westbrook (veteran) 2
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Carmelo Anthony ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- D.J. Augustin ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Kent Bazemore ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Avery Bradley ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Jared Dudley ($1,811,516 cap hold): Early Bird rights 3
- Wayne Ellington ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Dwight Howard ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Malik Monk ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights
- Dion Waiters ($1,811,516 cap hold): Non-Bird rights 3
- Kostas Antetokounmpo ($1,616,044 cap hold): Early Bird rights 3
- Total: $17,919,688
Offseason Cap Outlook
Even if the Lakers do find a taker for Westbrook, who is a lock to pick up his option, they’ll likely have to take back upwards of $40MM in salary to make the deal work financially — dumping his $47MM+ contract onto another team without taking much, or any, salary back just isn’t realistic.
As a result, it’s a pretty safe bet that the Lakers will once again find themselves above the luxury tax line in 2022/23. Right now, that tax line projects to be set at $149MM.
Due to their cap situation and their lack of any real Bird rights on their free agents, it’ll be difficult for the Lakers to give any of those veterans much of a raise on their 2021/22 salary. That will be a problem if they want to re-sign Monk — they’ll be limited to an offer worth about $2.5MM unless they use their taxpayer mid-level exception on him.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $6,392,000 4
- Trade exception: $2,692,991
- Trade exception: $1,669,178
Footnotes
- Gabriel’s salary will remain non-guaranteed even if his option is exercised.
- Westbrook would only be eligible if his option is exercised, which is expected.
- The cap holds for these players remain on the Lakers’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
The last couple of years this board was FULL of Laker fans. Now, save for a few, they all bailed.
Always been way more Laker haters in here. That continues to be the case
I’ve been here since the days of getting 5 posts in an article was rare .
There have never been many Laker fans in here at all . Have no clue how this keeps getting perpetuated
Potential Lakers/Pacers trade.
Lakers receive Malcom Brogdon, Buddy Hield, and largely unproven rookie Terry Taylor.
Pacers receive Russel Westbrook and a lottery-protected first (Pacers pick between 2027 and 2029). How much protection is also up for debate.
Who says no first?
Is this sarcasm?
Why would the Pacers do that deal?
Cap flexibility, mainly. They could also get a potentially solid first-round pick if the Lakers are injury riddled again. (Also, as I said, lottery protection is negotiable). Brogdon is good, but injury prone; he’s never played a full season and lately hasn’t come close. Hield is also not a bad player, but he’s very limited defensively, and despite his uptick in Indiana, he’s been trending the wrong direction for the last couple years. They also have better young players at both PG and SG and are trying to rebuild. If Westbrook rebounds he could even be a late-season trade chip for them.
Point taken on the protection on the picks. Would one non-protected pick work out or would it take both picks, one protected and one not.
If the Pacers are interested in trading Brogdon and Hield for salary flexibility, there are dozens of better deals out there for expiring contracts. “Better” meaning “don’t have to take back Russell Westbrook so they can cut him to avoid him taking the ball out of Halliburton’s hands.”
Fair. It’s an idea I’ve seen thrown around a lot, so I wanted to see how viable it actually was.
The Pacers would be doing LA a favor buying out Westbrook to obtain those picks in 5 yrs? Plus Heilds value is climbing back up. Say Heild was in Philly or Dallas, he’d get way better looks. Brogdon just needs to get healthy and team like Cippers need a PG. The Westbrook deal is so ugly you have to convince a team to give you WORSE contracts. He’s going to make almost $50 mil next year. Best bet is LA trades him at deadline because half of his salary would’ve bene paid and now buying him out got a whole lot better if you unload those horrid salaries.
Pacers are tryin to build around tyrese Halliburton, I doubt they take a personality like westbrook for as little as a lottery protected first…I don’t think any team in the league is about to do the lakers a favor and take westbrook off their hands, however maybe the knicks have some unwanted contracts that would actually help lebron and AD while keeping westbrook in a big time market?
Do you think Indiana gives Russ the extension too?
The Westbrick trade was such a bad idea from the start. And a year later, the author’s statement “the Lakers would be thrilled to pull off the inverse of that deal” is so true.
The Lakers have really boxed themselves into a situation that will be near impossible to correct for a while.
I’m rather unfamiliar with nba economics and would rather ask this forum than Google, so would something like a Westbrook for randle (past history aside)/Fournier make sense? Knicks get out of the salaries and lakers get pieces back
Yeah that works. It’s legal, although the Knicks are taking back $8 or 9m more than they’re sending out this coming year. I doubt the Knicks would be interested, unless Randle is such a clubhouse problem that they feel they have to move him. They certainly wouldn’t do it because they want Westbrook (they may just cut him) but only to move some long term money into an expiring contract, and open themselves up for a big FA splurge next off-season. Yeah, so, I think I may be talking myself into it.
I’ve been a proponent of either Fournier + stuff or (after the season went totally down the drain) a Randle + stuff deal for RWB, although I doubt the Knicks’ FO will go for it (at least from their public statements to date)
Cap space in this era has kind of lost its cache – except maybe if you’re NY. Given RJ’s improved play down the stretch it makes some sense to clear the books in the event RJ become that guy.
The Lakers have presumably already asked around, and are now looking for a HC who can make make use of him next year.
The success of Al Horford reflects well on John Wall, who could be a better bet than Westy for the Knicks or whoever. He is fresh while Westy still has to be hammered into a new role.
If Lakers plan to keep future first round picks
The best option is waive and stretch Westbrook
Not happening Sillivan. They run it back WITH Westbrook. He’s in the final year of that crappy deal so you don’t want to trade him with attached assets. They’ll do their best to improve the roster and try one more time.
No way. That kills their cap situation for years. Worst case is they just hold him for a year, play LeBron sparingly knowing they won’t win next year, and then have all that glorious room next off-season.
Worst option possible is to stretch
The Lakers will make their best attempt to run it back next season and plug in the best possible role players, as mentioned in the article above.
If it does not work out and the season is a bust, then they trade Anthony Davis. Hopefully what they receive back in players and draft picks will help speed up the rebuild. He’s only 29 so it won’t be too late to recover valuable assets.
It probably won’t happen but if the Lakers are 22-32 at the trade deadline, they dump Davis at that time.
As far as LeBron James, he will just leave in free agency with his one-year opt out contract language. Could be a sign-and-trade though if he wants to go to a team with salary-cap issues.
Done deal, very simple. Not such a doomsday scenario and the Lakers will be in good shape with this plan in place.
With the way things stand right now trading AD is the start of a teardown not the end. They will get at best 3 first and 2 useful players to rebuild a team devoid of any and I mean any assets and I don’t see then drafting perfectly from then on to undo 3 years of virtually no draft picks.
It’ll be interesting to see which veterans will be willing to take a minimum salary deal with the Lakers this summer. They got a lot of veterans on the minimum last year because conventional wisdom was that the Lakers were title contenders.
I doubt that will be the expectation for next season.
Yup exactly Lars, and there’s several contenders in the same situation vying for the same guys. Warriors got lucky with Porter and Bjelica on minimums this year, but they’ll need new faces next season.
I still think Westbrook for Fournier/Walker/Noel+Gibson is the most likely move, one of the more realistic ones.
Lakers are not trading Westbrook without taking on some salary. Knicks get off Fourniers contract and get a more competent PG back. Lakers get back a couple guys that’ll mesh better with Lebron/AD. Fournier could start and Walker could make a good backup PG at this point. Plus Fourniers contract is only 1 extra year for 18 mill. It’s not so crazy.
It’s going to take picks. You’re NY, now you gotta eat Westbrooks money because they’re probably not going to play him because hes toxic. So they’re tanking after making playoffs in 2021? They can make other moves. Teams like Portland need players around Dame. That’s more attractive that paying off Westbrook
What for would you say Russ is toxic?
He had an ok season last year as the #3 option in the LAL he is still better than most PG’s in the league, probably he just sneaked in as a top 50 player… so, your comment doesn’t make sense!
Yes, he is overpaid, but that is the case with any star reaching 3o, except LBJ, of course, but Harden, Curry, Russ & so on… are all way overpaid at this stage of their careers!
Any chance the Lakers “John Wall” Westbrook and just tell him to stay home for the season? Let the contract play out and be done but keep him away from the team and avoid the negative attitude he’s gonna have cause he’s likely getting benched anyway or way less PT.
I’m A Lakers Fan For Life
And I’m Hoping That Darvin Ham
Becomes The Next Lakers Head Coach
Why do you like Darvin Ham? I’m not saying I don’t like the choice but what are your reasons? I’m curious to read your opinions.
He Has Evolved To Darvinism.
I think Charlotte is hot on his Trail as well. Hopefully he’s successful as the next Young coach to come up through the ranks.
My thoughts are simple. Keep Westbrook until mid-point and trade him for bad salaries. Halfway he’ll be around $25mil, so now you’re sending that out to a team who wants to unload like NY. But before that you could go for Duncan Robinson or Joe Harris using THT and Nunn. I mapped out a massive trade Davis for Lavine, Westbrook for Porzingis, THT and Nunn and collected assets through trades for Haywood. Now you have Monk, Lavine, Haywood, James, Porzingis without giving up picks. That framework could be used for other assets. Lots of ifs and risks, but that’s what Westbrooks salary and Davis’ health imposes. Lakers have a ton of money from the aforementioned players. The best way is to take on as many bad contracts for guys who could work with LeBron, which lead into more tangible pieces for a playoff run or future trade bait.
Is there a team that could take Westbrook and Lebron? Would any team want them both? Would Lebron want to go with Westbrook?
So, LBJ was the 4th best player of this season & you wanna trade him?
Clearly you must expect to get at least a top 5 player plus assets for him, right?
He is 37 I believe and huge contract. You won’t get back a return you will ever deem worthy of that is your ask, plus trading Lebron out of LA?
This is easy.
Trade AD, THT and Nunn for sign and trade Zach LaVine and Pat Will.
Then it’s about moving Russ and already the Pacers and Hornets have shown interest.
I still think the best landing spot for him is the Knicks.
So let’s say Russ and the 2027 first for Randle, Kemba and Noel.
Lastly FA ofcourse, Tristan Thompson comes to LA to link up with LeBron again and be closer to the kardashians. Dennis Schroder is able to be the bigger man and he returns back on a 1 year deal. Then to finish Bryn Forbes comes and Dwight Howard stays.
That has the team looking like this;
1. Schroder. Kemba
2. LaVine. Forbes. Reaves
3. LeBron. Johnson
4. Randle. Williams
5. Thompson. Noel. Howard
Defence is weaker especially among the starters but Schroder can do bits on the perimeter to be a pain. Thompson can do bits to be a pain down low. Offensively tho it’s looking a lot better. Randle is similar to AD but he’s never as injured. LaVine will get trusted to take alot of touches. He can score really well and should thrive playing off good passers like LeBron and Randle. Schroder can take outside shots. Off the bench alot more defence, expect Kemba to be run this unit and score alot, Pat Will should be pushing for a starting spot and should get good minutes in the fourth quarter. Noel will stay for now until GM LeBron moves him at the deadline, expect but out candidates to join aswell.
Lakers are a 6th seed with this side and atleast the future after LeBron looks somewhat promising with LaVine Randle and Pat Will
Just do the Russ to NY trade – there’s no need to move AD.
I’d probably pass on Dennis – and I’d try to get Burks in place of Kemba.
IDK who they’ll be able to get on the minimum market this summer, but if LA could run out a starting 5 of Nunn-Burks-Bron-Randle-AD next season that would be a monumental victory in my books.
Randle and AD don’t seem like a great fit personally and I think giving AD isn’t a bad idea. He’s just to injury prone and not as dominant as he once was. I’d rather LaVine who gives you 25-5-5, open up the floor and is electric in the open court and finish in the paint. Plus a role player for depth.
I’d think NY in receiving Russ would want to give up a point guard and Kemba makes the most sense. In which case he would be great at being a scoring option and running a second unit
Randle could be desired by other clubs. Kemba and Noel could be viewed as salary dumps but it would cost more to pay Westbrook than eat money for Kemba and Noel (Noel has team option). It’ll take alot more in my book to get NY to move guys. You’ll need a 3rd team with more recent picks and or move Fournier. Too much effort for a 1st in 2027 when NY wants back in the playoffs now.
Idk the Knicks seem rather motivated to move Randle and not want Kemba or Noel either.
Not that Russ is an amazing return but I think he’s a perfect fit for coach Thibs. He’s also a former MVP and all that and in the right situation would be an all star caliber player still. I could see him putting up 25-10-8 as a Knick and leaving them to the playoffs with Barrett and Toppin
Don’t sleep on Nunn. When healthy, he’s a good player at a low salary.