The Los Angeles Lakers‘ pursuit of Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets was intended to address a critical need for a starting-caliber center. However, the trade was ultimately rescinded due to unforeseen medical concerns, leaving the team scrambling to find alternative solutions to bolster their frontcourt.
Despite this setback, the Lakers buyout ability retains a degree of flexibility in addressing their roster needs. With approximately $1.6 million in salary cap space below the second apron, they possess the ability to make limited roster additions. Furthermore, the team recognizes the need for an answer at the position with one source saying: “We will find another center path. The path is always there. We just got to put in the work to find it.”
Los Angeles Lakers Buyout Market: Zeroing In On Alex Len
Alex Len, a recently waived veteran center, has emerged as a potential target for the Lakers. While he was initially expected to sign with the Indiana Pacers, those plans have reportedly fallen through, making him a potential option for the Lakers as they seek to address their frontcourt needs within their current financial constraints.
Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star thinks that Len will end up with the LA Lakers.
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It’s important to note that the team is currently hard-capped due to the structure of the Luka Dončić trade, limiting their spending capacity. However, the Lakers can utilize the minimum player salary exception to acquire additional players. While a full-season minimum contract exceeds their available cap space, the prorated nature of these contracts for players signed during the season allows them to explore potential roster additions without exceeding the hard cap limitations.
Lakers, while constrained by the second apron, possess limited flexibility to address their roster needs. As of February 10, the team has approximately $1.6 million in available cap space below the second apron, allowing them to sign up to two players on rest-of-season minimum contracts, which currently stand at roughly $755,000.
The Lakers also have a portion of their taxpayer mid-level exception available, which began prorating on January 10. However, due to the hard cap limitations imposed by the second apron, they cannot utilize the full amount of this exception.
The team’s ability to acquire impact players through free agency is somewhat restricted by the hard cap, which prohibits them from signing players who previously earned more than $12.8 million. This limitation significantly narrows the pool of potential targets, making it necessary for the Lakers to explore more budget-conscious options.