NBA rumors: Giannis involvement in Dame trade, Jrue return for Blazers, Lakers get another bargain
- The Lakers continue to attract players on cheap offers
- What the Blazers are expected to get back for trading Jrue Holiday
- Bucks GM did not clear Damian Lillard trade with Giannis
By Josh Wilson
The Lakers continue to get players on cheaper offers than other teams are giving them
The Los Angeles Lakers, despite a slow-down in their overall championship success over the last handful of years, still have the bright lights of Los Angeles and the many winning years in the rafters of the Staples Center (er... Crypto.com Arena) that continue to help them accrue free agent signings that are probably better deals than any other team can get.
Look no further for recent proof than Christian Wood signing with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Dave McMenamin reported that Rob Pelinka recently said the Lakers signed center Christian Wood to a contract at a cheaper rate than other offers he had on the table for him.
Rob Pelinka says that he spoke to Christian Wood's agent on a nearly daily basis for several months while pursuing Wood as a free agent this summer. Pelinka said that Wood chose the Lakers over offers from other contenders and cited the way Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder came to…
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 28, 2023
McMenamin (and by proxy, Pelinka) point out that other stars like Malik Monk and Dennis Schroder have signed similar deals, using Los Angeles as a launching pad to restore their reputation in the NBA to sign bigger deals down the line.
Schroder -- who infamously turned down an abusrd extension to sign with the Lakers -- is on a two-year deal with the Raptors worth over $25 million. That's the biggest average annual value contract he has had since 2020 when he was closing out a four-year, $70 million deal. Malik Monk went from $1.789 million with the Lakers to $9.5 million with the Kings.
It's hard to see exactly what the appeal is, but the appeal to play for the Lakers is clear. Is it the knowledge your team has a shot at competing for a title since LeBron is the star in tow? Or is it the legacy that comes with the purple and gold?
Either way, it's clear that taking a discount to play for the Lakers is not a problem for fringe star players, but it's unlikely they'll stick around for long if they prove their worth.