Understanding the Lakers Quiet Trade Deadline and Cap Space Plans
On the Lakers quiet trade deadline and looking ahead to how they could maximize their cap space. Also, the unprecedented bargain of a potential LeBron James minimum deal with the Cavaliers.
Third Apron has quickly emerged as a leader in NBA salary cap and transaction analysis in its first year of operation. February was dedicated to reacting to every deal made ahead of the trade deadline with 10 articles and counting. This week will be dedicated to discussing some of the more inactive teams.
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The Lakers blitzed to a hot 15-4 start to the season that included some impressive wins. They managed to hand the Spurs their second loss of the season and stole a win against the Blazers while extremely shorthanded in a game where Nick Smith emerged as the unlikely hero.
This start is now all but forgotten. Although they’re 34-22, they’re essentially in a five-way tie for third place in the West. What differentiates them from that morass is that they’re the only ones without a positive net rating. The consensus view on them is that they’re not a true title contender due to their lack of defensive personnel.
There are a couple of positives to take away from that start. Austin Reaves has emerged as an All-Star-level player who complements Luka Doncic similarly to how Kyrie Irving did in Dallas. Also, JJ Redick continues to consistently dig deep in the rotation for solutions to get the Lakers playing above their weight. At the very least, he’s proven to be a strong floor-raising coach, and that’s valuable for a team with as many flaws as this Lakers roster has.
The trade deadline passed without a move to address their lack of rim protection or point-of-attack defenders. In most years, there are high expectations for the Lakers to do something at the trade deadline and improve the roster before being mostly inactive. This year was the first time in a while that there was an expectation that the Lakers would likely stand pat despite having a superstar in his prime.
The lone Lakers trade this month was acquiring Luke Kennard from the Hawks for Gabe Vincent and a second-round pick. The sharpshooter is yet another weapon for one of the more lethal offensive teams when fully healthy. But acquiring a player who might not play more than 8 minutes in a playoff game, when Doncic and Reaves are likely getting close to 40 a night, doesn’t raise their title odds. It felt like a move made just for the sake of making one.
The Lakers were able to make this trade due to their limited assets. They were only able to trade one first-round pick and one second-round pick ahead of the trade deadline. They now have zero second-round picks, largely fueled by trading three for Dorian Finney-Smith and one to get off Jalen Hood-Schifino last season.
It’s been telegraphed for nearly a year now that the Lakers are keeping their powder dry and maximizing cap flexibility to reshape the roster. The acquisition of Doncic renewed their present and future, but the rest of the roster wasn’t equipped for him. Their quickest path to acquiring the best types of players to surround him with is with cap space.
