NBA Rumors: Los Angeles Lakers saving cap space for 2015
The Los Angeles Lakers are traditionally one of the most active teams in the offseason.
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However, last year, they got a taste of their own medicine when star center Dwight Howard left to join the Houston Rockets in free agency.
The Lakers would obviously love to be a player in free agency this year with the likes of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James likely to become free agents, but that may not be the best course of action.
Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders breaks down the problems with the Lakers and why they will likely try to create cap space for 2015 rather than using it this offseason.
"2015 — Owe first-rounder (top-five protected, top-three protected through 2017, unprotected in 2018) to Phoenix Suns (Steve Nash).2015 — Owe second-rounder (top-40 protected) to Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard).2017 — Owe first-rounder (top-five protected through 2018, unprotected in 2019) to Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard). If 2015 first-rounder not sent to Phoenix by 2017, pick to Orlando converts to 2017 and 2018 second-rounders.Ideally, preserving the space for 2015 would be the play. The Lakers would totally tank next year to retain that pick (you can see why protected picks are a much more insidious tanking incentive than the lottery system itself, because it’s much easier to assure a pick doesn’t fall below a certain level by tanking than to ensure a top-3 pick), then try to rebuild like crazy in the summer of 2015 with cap space for nearly two max players, Kobe (making $25 million that year), the #7 pick this year, and their retained top 5 pick next summer. Then they get good and end up sending Phoenix something much less valuable after the 2016 season. However, with Kobe in the fold it seems unlikely the Lakers get into the top 5 next summer, unless he gets hurt again."
That means it could be another rough year for the Lakers, but it may be worth the wait – San Monica, California native, former UCLA Bruins’ start and current Minnesota Timberwolves’ power forward Kevin Love will be a free agent after next season.