The Picture Perfect Lakers’ Summer
By Jacob Rude
Trade for Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, 1st round pick
Feb 19, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin (7) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Sacre (50) and forward Jordan Hill (27) at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
At first, I wasn’t fond of this trade. Lin and Asik are no longer “sexy” names in the league. But the Lakers have with the cap space is not only a chance to sign some free agents, but to offer cap relief to teams.
The Rockets and their owner dream big. Similarly, Carmelo Anthony is title-hunting at this point. Daryl Morety can not sign Melo, obviously, given their current cap situation. However, if he does a salary dump similar to what the Golden State Warriors did in order to acquire Andre Iguodala.
Using that as an outline for a trade, I see the Rockets offering up Lin, Asik, and sweetening the pot with an unprotected 1st round pick. The Lakers are one of the few teams who can offer so much cap relief to Houston, which could even further drive up the price depending on how much Morey wants Melo. Terrance Jones or Donatas Motiejunas could be added to the deal.
Lin and Asik’s poison pill contracts mean they will be paid around $30 million, but their cap hits will only be roughly $8 million. Better yet, their contracts expire after next season, freeing up more cap space for Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, and more.
With Kobe’s $23 million contract and Nash’s $9 million, the Lakers sit at roughly $48 million on the payroll, plus $2.4 million for their rookie, moving it up to $50 million.