The Los Angeles Lakers seem committed to pursuing Dejounte Murray and find a deal that the Atlanta Hawks accept. In that process, the Lakers are possibly trying to acquire a salary offset that allows them to get under the luxury tax and save nearly $16 million, as explained by Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks on an episode of The Hoop Collective.
(Starts at 35:37)
Bobby Marks: “Lakers are $1.3M above the luxury tax and $4.9M below the first apron. Lakers are a repeater tax team, 4 years in a row out of 5 years. That’s a small amount but they’re still in the tax.”
Brian Windhorst: “There are ways for Lakers to make a trade to shed $1.3M to try and improve the roster and to get out of the tax.”
Bobby Marks: “Like a $19M player for a $15.7M player?”
Brian Windhorst: “Right, it doesn’t take high level cap mechanics how the Lakers can trade for Dejounte Murray and get out of the luxury repeater tax, which would save the Lakers… around the neighborhood of $15M. Lakers (ownership) can find uses for that money.”
To make the finances work, the Lakers would have to send another player along with the $15.7 million player Marks was talking about, which is Rui Hachimura. The inclusion of Jalen Hood-Schifino and another minimum contract like Christian Wood could see the Lakers shed a lot of money the Dejounte Murray, who is making $17.4 million this season.
Ideally, the Lakers would use D’Angelo Russell for a deal like this as they’re looking to make a guard swap. But if they value having either D’Lo or Austin Reaves in a defined sixth man role with the other starting alongside Murray, the Lakers would have very robust guard play on their roster.
The Lakers Would Love To Upgrade And Get Out Of The Luxury Tax
The Lakers can find ways to get below the luxury tax only if they go after a player like Murray or Lauri Markkanen, players who make under $20 million and can be difference-makers. Brian Windhorst recalled a time where the Lakers made a trade to get under the luxury tax with the sole purpose of saving money, but in this situation, the Lakers may be incentivized to save money and get better.
“I remember when the Lakers made a deadline deal years ago trading Chris Mihm just to save $3M. I remember saying to somebody: ‘Why would the Lakers do that?’ And they’re like: ‘That’s another $3M Buss could take to Vegas.’ It was a joke but that’s true. Like if the Lakers could find a way to save $6M, that means each of the six Buss kids will take home an extra $1M each. I’m not saying they make decisions based on that, but if you look at the possibility of trying to improve your roster and saving around $15M it might make it easier for the Lakers to even include a draft pick to do it.”
If the Lakers had doubts about including one of their two tradeable first-round picks, this could be the catalyst that prompts them to do so. The Lakers have had a very expensive roster in recent years and this is an opportunity to get their name out of the repeater tax and improve their team.
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