As the NBA threatens to get upended around them by Thursday’s trade deadline, the Lakers have been quiet thus far.
The Lakers did get one piece of notable news Tuesday: LeBron James “is still expected to finish out the season” in L.A., according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said as much on his podcast in December, but league sources re-emphasized to McMenamin that “James will not be joining a new team before this season is over.”
If that’s true, that limits the Lakers’ options at the trade deadline.
Can the Lakers go big-game hunting?
The Lakers are currently less than $1 million below the $195.9 million first apron. They’re hard-capped at that threshold since they spent their non-taxpayer mid-level exception on Deandre Ayton and Jake LaRavia this past offseason. That means they can’t go over $195.9 million in total salary until the new league year begins on June 30.
The Lakers do have more than $44 million in expiring contracts between Rui Hachimura ($18.3 million), Gabe Vincent ($11.5 million), Maxi Kleber ($11.0 million) and Jaxson Hayes ($3.4 million). But since they’re so close to the first apron, they can’t take back much more salary than they send out in a trade.
James’ $52.6 million contract would be ideal to dangle from a salary-matching perspective. However, he has a full no-trade clause, which means he can scuttle any deal involving him.
If James won’t sign off on a trade, the Lakers could instead offer Jarred Vanderbilt, who’s owed $11.6 million this year and $12.4 million in 2026-27. He also has a $13.3 million player option in 2027-28, which likely makes him less desirable to potential trade partners.
Aside from Vanderbilt, though, the Lakers can offer significant salary relief in the form of Hachimura, Vincent and Kleber. Those three plus Vanderbilt get them above $50 million, but they’d also need to include Hayes to get into the $55 million range.
Teams don’t have enough open roster spots to swing a five-for-one deal during the season, though. The Lakers would need to recruit at least one other team to help push any deal for a superstar over the edge.
LeBron’s uncertain future
The Lakers could have upwards of $50 million in cap space this offseason, but it would require them to part ways with all of their free agents, including LeBron. They figure to be fiercely protective of that financial flexibility at the trade deadline unless it’s for a clear long-term upgrade.
The uncertainty surrounding LeBron’s future is the real impediment, though.
Even if this isn’t James’ final season in the NBA, it very well could be his final season in L.A. The Lakers have a unique opportunity to take advantage of Austin Reaves’ below-market salary-cap hold this offseason. If/when they re-sign Reaves, that window closes.
The Lakers are now feeling the inherent tension that every LeBron James team feels at some point. They have to weigh the risks of making a win-now push versus preserving their assets for their post-LeBron future. Luka Dončić‘s arrival in L.A. last year only further complicated that.
LeBron, who’s in his age-41 season, doesn’t have much time left in the NBA. Dončić, who turns 27 at the end of February, could be the Lakers’ franchise cornerstone for the next decade. LeBron might feel as though the Lakers owe it to him to make one last push for a championship, but the Lakers have to be mindful of how best to build around Dončić moving forward.
On that front, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported Wednesday that the Lakers would be “a very viable threat” to land Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo if he doesn’t get moved by the trade deadline.
“There is little choice for the Lakers, heading into Thursday’s deadline, except to stay patient and avoid deals that involve any long-term salary to maintain maximum flexibility for the spring,” Stein wrote. “The hope for the purple-and-gold would then be to use their considerable projected salary cap space to be able to take in a contract like Antetokounmpo’s via trade—or another expensive star if one shakes loose post-playoffs.”
That approach may frustrate LeBron in what could be his final NBA season, but it’s the wise route to take. Besides, the only one who’s forcing LeBron to stay in L.A. is LeBron.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats viaNBA.com,PBPStats,Cleaning the GlassorBasketball Reference. All salary information viaSpotracand salary-cap information viaRealGM.
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