The Los Angeles Lakers might be ready to cash in on their remaining trade assets as they now abandoned their playoff aspirations and shifted their focus to building a competitive team next season.
With Kobe Bryant sitting out for the remainder of the season after suffering a shoulder injury (torn rotator cuff) last week, the Lakers have realized it's about time to develop their young players and retched up their pursuit of acquiring assets out of several valuable players on their roster.
Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles said in a recent discussion on ESPN Los Angele Forum that a 'fire sale' may not be a far-fetched idea, given the fact that it's already a lost season. Moreover, there's need for the Lakers to gauge interest for expiring contracts such as Jeremy Lin and Ed Davis before they lost these players without getting any compensation in return.
Jeremy Lin is pocketing roughly $15M this season ($8M against the salary cap) in the final year of the three-year, $25M contract he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2012. Although he's still putting up solid numbers in limited minutes (10.7 points and 4.7 assists), the former Harvard standout has fallen out of flavor in Los Angeles ever since Byron Scott pulled him out of the starting lineup last December.
While it would be hard to find a taker for Lin because of his still expensive expiring deal, the Lakers could capitalize on Hill's growth this season. Hill, who is earning $9M this season and could earn the same amount next year if his takes exercises team option on his contract, is averaging 12.3 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, though his production is taking a hit as of late with the Lakers allotting some of his playing time to rookie big man Tarik Black, who's going to be part of the Lakers' future plans.
Basketball Insiders writer Jabari Davis believes the Lakers' front-office will try to convert these players into assets in forms of young players with terrific upside or a first-rounder, if it's available.
"I do think the Lakers could acquire some picks for those guys. It's really about capitalizing on a need for one or more of these playoff-bound and contending teams. For example...as happy as I was for Portland that Aldridge is trying to do whatever it takes to play, I still think they need another big man for added depth during the postseason run. With Kobe likely out for the year, I would seriously consider cleaning that roster out in order to stockpile as many picks/assets as possible to work with this summer," Davis stated.
With a cap space that could reach as much as $25M, the Lakers are expected to make a run at several elite free-agents available next summer. They also possess a first-rounder from the Houston Rockets and could land a a high lottery pick if they continue to fall into the bottom-5 in the league standings.
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