3. The Los Angeles Lakers are cheap because of the tax
So let’s go full circle back to those lesser names that might be more realistic targets for the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though we all know those players won’t really have any sort of impact in LA, why wouldn’t the Lakers at least kick the tires and take a big flier and hope that something clicks? It would be better than guys like Kent Bazemore who are not even playing, right?
The problem is that the Lakers have been cheap all season. Obviously, the team is spending a lot of money because of the Russell Westbrook trade and having three massive contracts but that has caused the team to be cheap in other areas.
This is the same team that let Alex Caruso walk because of the tax payment. The same team that traded Rajon Rondo for essentially nothing just so they could open up a roster spot to sign Stanley Johnson.
The Lakers would have to release a player to sign a player. That means that they would not only have to pay the luxury tax impact of the former contract but also the new contract as well. That is not that much money but the Lakers have no reason to pay the extra pointless tax.
This team stinks and the front office knows it. Can Rob Pelinka really convince the front office to pay another few million in tax money just so they can flip Bazemore for Cory Joseph and end up with the exact same record? Probably not.