Who is eligible for a contract extension, free agency, or under contract on the LA Lakers roster?
Due to their high spending and transfer moves this season, the Los Angeles Lakers’ financial and roster status has been called into question.
After losing to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals, one of the Lakers’ main worries as they prepare for the summer of 2023 is whether they will have enough salary flexibility to make big transfers.
Given their high spending this season, there has been concern about the Lakers’ financial status. A whooping $35.9 million penalty resulted from their discovery of a startling $17.2 million over the tax threshold. The Lakers will now pay greater luxury tax rates than they did over the previous three seasons as they prepare to join the repeater tax in the 2023–24 campaign. It is noteworthy that the repeater tax now imposes a whopping $54.1 million penalty for exceeding the tax line by the same amount.
The Lakers may need to review their roster in light of these rising expenses and look at more affordable alternatives. The success of some of their highest-paid players, especially those who did not play a major role during the playoffs, is a crucial consideration in this choice. The Lakers might lose out on players like Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba that they added in the run-up to the trade deadline. This enables them to investigate trade options that better suit the needs of their squad or remove these players’ wages off their books.
The Los Angeles Lakers must reevaluate their trade plans and consider player replacements in light of recent league-wide reforms and strict limitations impacting clubs playing beyond the second tax apron. In the event that they seek a trade involving Kyrie Irving, notable names they have on their radar include DeAngelo Russell, Mo Bamba, and Malik Beasley. This strategic move attempts to free up cap space so that valuable players like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura may continue to play, possibly investigating possibilities like Lonnie Walker IV or looking for a suitable replacement with some of the mid-level exception.
The Lakers are pondering the effects of the new regulations that were implemented in recent years, much like a lot of other clubs. Teams who operate over the second tax apron are subject to severe limits as a result of these laws, which makes it important to carefully evaluate their trading situations and any potential effects on their squad makeup.
