Los Angeles Lakers: 3 early targets for the mid-level exception
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers do not necessarily have a lot of money to spend this offseason. That is what happens when you are paying two superstars in the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers can go over the salary cap and there are several different things that will be the team’s best friend. Bird Rights on existing free agents, the potential of a sign-and-trade using those Bird Rights and the mid-level exception will all help the team spend money.
The MLE is granted to all 32 NBA teams and the Lakers are projected to get the non-taxpayer MLE, which allows them to pay their MLE signings more. The projected salary of an MLE signee next season is $9.5 million, with that player getting a raise each season that is adjacent to the salary cap.
Last year, the Lakers used their MLE to sign Montrezl Harrell.
There are several free agents that the Los Angeles Lakers could sign with the MLE.
You only get one MLE signing per offseason and the same players that are going to be worth the MLE for the Lakers will be worth the MLE for other teams. There is definitely a certain level of free agent that falls into this category, and with so many teams over the salary cap, those free agents will almost exclusively get MLE offers.
The Lakers are going to have competition as every team in the league has this luxury but the Lakers also have the luxury of being a contender. Here are x early free-agent targets that the Los Angeles Lakers could potentially use the MLE to sign.