Los Angeles Lakers will start Carlos Boozer at small forward

The Chicago Bulls finally rid themselves of Carlos Boozer and while they’ll be paying his salary for this upcoming season, he’ll be off the books and no longer counting against the luxury tax threshold.

More from Chicago Bulls

• NBA Rumors: Warriors, Lakers among contenders for key free agent
• 3 players Bulls can sign with Disabled Player Exception
• NBA free agency: The 3 biggest losers in this offseason so far
• The new NBA flopping rules explained
• 5 players Sixers could acquire in Harden deal to stay competitive

That’s good news for the Los Angeles Lakers, who won the auction to acquire Boozer and will be off the hook for most of his remaining salary on his contract with the Bulls. One reason Boozer grew upset in Chicago was his lack of playing time, which has already prompted him to say he expects to start with the Lakers this season.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Boozer will be getting his wish, as the team has him penciled in as the starting small forward for the 2014-15 season.

"Boozer is penciled in as the Lakers’ starting small forward. He will be in the final year of his contract and will be paid $13.5 million by the Bulls. As per terms of the amnesty provision, the Lakers cannot trade Boozer. He will be a free agent next July. “Personally, I know he’s going to have a great year this year and at his age, there’s no reason why he can’t play three, four or five more years,” Kupchak said."

Boozer spent his time at power forward for the Chicago Bulls, which might have been part of the problem in why he was only so effective for the team during his tenure. The bottom line is that the Lakers have now quietly put together a decent offseason and Boozer’s addition to the starting lineup will be something that helps out everyone involved.

Be sure to check FanSided.com’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.