Remember the people griping about Kobe Bryant’s contract being too much? Well, they can gripe a bit less.
RT @WindhorstESPN: .@LarryCoon projecting unexpected jump of $5M in salary cap. If that holds, game changer for Melo & his CHI/HOU options
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 19, 2014
A $5 million increase is a big deal.
Eric Pincus reports:
"With a true clean slate, with the Lakers keeping just Kobe Bryant, Robert Sacre and their 2014 draft pick, the team could have up to $28.5 million in cap space. In fact, they could have as much as $30.7 million if they dealt their first-rounder (after the draft in June), but that seems unlikely."
With a projected $28.5 million in cap space, it’s possible to have one free agent under a max contract, while the other veteran would be very near the max contract as well. This leaves an excellent chance to accelerate the process in terms of fighting for playoff contention, let alone a championship.
Depending on who signs, it also increases the chances for current Laker players to resign for the team. Nick Young became a fan favorite during the season. The extra $5 million in cap space makes it possible to keep him for a longer term contract. The same possibility exists for Pau Gasol.
The question is, who do you want the Lakers to go after in the summer of 2014? Would you rather wait until 2015? What about 2016?
Any way you look at it, this is good news for the Laker franchise and their fans.