Lakers News: Salary Cap Set to Balloon to $90 Million

Timing is everything.

In the Lakers’ case, their rebuild is occurring at basically the perfect time, as they’ll have financial flexibility this offseason, then will have similar ability to add to the roster next year, as the salary increases from $67 million to $90 million thanks to the impending $24 billion TV deal, according to the Los Angeles Times’ Mike Bresnahan via a direct quote from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

"“I think we should park at least for a year because when all this cap money comes in — like we’re going to go from a cap of I think approximately $67 million next year in the ’15-16 season to a cap of roughly $90 million in the ’16-17 season — what I’ve learned from this league, having been around a long time, is that our smart teams figure out angles, approaches, that we just can’t possibly model,” Silver said."

-== How The Top 5 NBA Prospects Fit With The Lakers ==-

In other words, even if the Lakers spend their reported $22 million in approximate cap space this summer (if they decline Jordan Hill’s team option), they’ll have almost exactly the same amount of space the following summer, when that Kevin Durant guy will be a free agent – not even taking into account Kobe Bryant’s expiring contract, which will free up another $25 million should he decide to retire.

I have a Bachelors in English, so my math isn’t very good, but I am adept at addition. Heading into that crucial summer of 2016, the Lakers could have nearly $500 zillion in cap space simply thanks to this reported salary leap and Kobe’s retirement. (Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration)

Ask anyone in the NBA, there are few things scarier league-wide than the Lakers with cap space. The Lakers with a young foundation, another mid-to-high-end free agent and room for two other max free agents would have to qualify as absolutely terrifying around the league.

How quickly things have changed for the franchise, as just a few short weeks ago and a more unfortunate bounce of the ping-pong balls and the Lakers would still have the aforementioned flexibility, but that young and talented core greatly aids in contract negotiations with superstars unwilling to singlehandedly hoist the rebuild efforts upon their own backs.

Now, between the upcoming draft, and whomever the Lakers sign in free agency, Los Angeles has all of a sudden become the destination so many were so willing to write off.

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