**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[goldmember]

If they manage to get buddy

 

[sohi 23]

Dekobke taking the mle

I think it’s Rudy Gay or Mills.

 

[frink85]

Biggest 2021 NBA free-agency and trade decisions for all 30 teams

Which decisions on free agents and trades will be priorities for each franchise?

www.espn.com

Spoiler: article from this morning

Los Angeles Lakers

Offseason transactions: Russell Westbrook (trade), Austin Reaves (two-way contract) and Joel Ayayi (two-way contract)

What to watch: Their free agents and bargain shopping in free agency

There is work to do this offseason for the Lakers. Despite the addition of a third All-Star in Russell Westbrook, the Lakers have only five players under contract and are $6 million below the luxury tax. Expect the focus to be on signing free agents Talen Horton-Tucker and Alex Caruso. The Lakers can exceed the cap to bring both players back because of Bird rights. The addition of Westbrook likely rules out a return of point guard Dennis Schroder. However, the Lakers can try to bolster their bench by exploring sign-and-trade options with Schroder. The Lakers are not allowed to bring back players under contract in a trade, but that doesn't apply to free agents acquired in a trade.

What else to watch for the L.A. Lakers

• What is the pecking order in free agency? Half the players on the roster are free agents
• What is the final cost of this roster?

Available exceptions: $5.9 million and veterans minimum

Note: The $143 million hard cap gets triggered if the Lakers use more than $5.9 million of their midlevel exception or they acquire a player in a sign-and-trade.

Room under the tax: $6.3 million

Room under the hard cap: $12.6 million

Lakers' projected depth chart
[TABLE]
[TR]
[TH]PG[/TH][TH]SG[/TH][TH]SF[/TH][TH]PF[/TH][TH]C[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]R. Westbrook[/TD][TD]A. Reaves2[/TD][TD]L. James[/TD][TD]A. Davis[/TD][TD]M. Gasol[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD]J. Ayayi2[/TD][TD]A. McKinnie1[/TD][TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]1= Partial/non-guaranteed[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]2= Two-way[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
Players under contract: 5

Two-way contracts: 2

Team needs

• Starting shooting guard
• Bench depth at every position

Extension-eligible: Alfonzo McKinnie and Russell Westbrook

Free-agent status

• Dennis Schroder | Bird
• Wesley Matthews | Non-Bird
• Alex Caruso | Bird
• Ben McLemore | Non-Bird
• Andre Drummond | Non-Bird
• Talen Horton-Tucker | Restricted | Early Bird
• Markieff Morris | Early Bird
• Jared Dudley | Early Bird
• Devontae Cacok | Early Bird
• Kostas Antetokounmpo | Early Bird

 

[D_eezus]

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

 

[darthska]

Let’s go fellas, youngest player gonna be AD on the squad

Sideline beef gonna be like...



-foe

 

[atlsfinest]

 

[reconic supreme]

Im down for mills

Vogel good at hiding dudes on defense (helps having the Brow and LeBron too)

 

[JCMojica24]

Need DJ Mbenga back

 

[thasoleful1]

Can they split the MLE?

 

[MVP]

Can they split the MLE?

Yes

 

[sohi 23]

Can they split the MLE?

Yes

We can’t be sure all the signings are vet mins yet. Will probably shake out after a few days / more signings.

 

[pmatic]

Signing Mills means goodbye Caruso.

 

[darthska]

Need DJ Mbenga back

Tacooooos!!!

-foe

 

[pmatic]

 

[pmatic]

Schroder is ****ed.

 

[D_eezus]

Schroder is ****ed.

welcome to LA buddy? or too early?

 

[VinMillerHearn58]

Evan Fournier to the Knicks. Dennis better agree to this S&T.

 

[DLF]

Yessss Fournier to Knicks!!!

 

[thasoleful1]

DS market ain’t looking too good

 

[denni5themenace]

really surprised there hasn't been any news for shroeder. it's almost too quiet on that front. still think he's involved in the russell westbrook trade. WOJ couldn't have been that far off on it.

 

[DLF]

Lakers might as well offer Shroeder 1 year 15 mill at this point. And trade him at deadline

 

[Lizakers]

Ariza is just nostalgia at this point

 

[pmatic]

really surprised there hasn't been any news for shroeder. it's almost too quiet on that front.

His agent has to be working between the Lakers and the over the cap teams to figure out S&T options.

 

[darthska]

DLF , is the DS market actually looking so dry that we'll actually have to keep him? Like not S&T, but S&...play?

-foe