With a pair of new rookies joining the squad and several player options looming, the Lakers’ roster is suddenly overstuffed heading into free agency.
With JJ Redick hired, the NBA Draft now in the rearview and Dalton Knecht and Bronny James officially the newest members of the Lakers, the team enters what should be an eventual free-agency period with plenty of questions still lingering.
There is no sugarcoating the fact that the Lakers need to improve their team this offseason. But before they do so, they must first address what is quickly becoming a bloated roster.
As of this article, Los Angeles already has 12 guaranteed contracts on their books after drafting their two new rookies and after D’Angelo Russell and Jaxson Hayes exercised their player options Friday night. On the surface, this does not present an inherent issue. However, that number can climb even further if Cam Reddish and LeBron James also decide to return.
In the scenario where all four remain Lakers — which is trending that way — the Lakers may find themselves heading into free agency with 14 roster spots already filled. As a reminder, under the new collective bargaining agreement, the maximum number of players a team can carry is 15 with an additional three two-way roster spots available.
If working off this same exercise, the team must also consider how this impacts their ability to retain their free agents this summer, including Max Christie, Taurean Prince, and Spencer Dinwiddie.
While it is probably safe to assume not all three would return, the Lakers certainly would hopefully want to hold onto Christie for the foreseeable future. And although Prince had his detractors, he was a serviceable rotation piece who has already expressed a desire to remain a Laker and could look even better in a streamlined role within Redick’s spaced-out offense.
This is all housekeeping that must occur before even considering external signings, which, as laid out here, could prove extremely difficult.
Another issue for the Lakers beyond lacking roster space is the sheer number of players they carry who are either too young to contribute next season or are unreliable. Between their new rookies and the likes of Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis, that’s four players who likely should not be counted on for big minutes. Once you add a combination of Christian Wood, Reddish and Hayes to the equation, that’s nearly half of the depth chart with legitimate question marks.
Because of their overstuffed and flawed roster, one can expect the Lakers to make a consolidation trade — if not several — in the upcoming days. Fortunately, the team still has the resources to do so.
Even after drafting James on Thursday, the Lakers possess five 2nd-rounders they can utilize to improve the roster and/or free up space. And given their current predicament, they should.
Whether it’s a 2-for-1 deal or simply incentivizing another front office to take on an unwanted contract, the team must first handle the logistics of their roster before they can improve it.
Throughout this process, the Lakers must also be mindful of their financial standing under the aforementioned new CBA. They will assuringly operate as an over-the-cap team that exceeds the first apron this summer. Still, they should attempt to steer far clear from entering the dangerous second apron (projected at $189.5 million). For context, they will sit roughly around $183 million if the scenario written about in this article transpires.
With only hours before the Lakers have more clarity on their roster outlook and free agency gets underway, they still need to handle plenty of in-house business. As much as fans want to see them be active in bolstering the team, important steps first need to be taken.
You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.
