Stealing a restricted free agent is rare territory. Typically, most teams holding those rights will exercise the opportunity to keep their players under the majority of circumstances. The Los Angeles Lakers will look to buck that trend in the summer of 2026.
At their disposal will be a sizable wealth of finances to tap with the cap space they project to have. They also have a strong list of restricted free agents who all fit their team. Walker Kessler or Jalen Duren can be the long-term starting center in Los Angeles. Peyton Watson or Tari Eason could provide the Lakers with a perfect two-way wing in the starting lineup next to Luka Doncic.
"Getting hands on one restricted free agent ... changes so much for the Lakers, because their key strength going into the offseason is cap space," Iztok Franko said on an episode of Buha's Block. "If you can sign a player with cap space, ... that would make a world of a difference."
This was noted by Franko because the assets for the Lakers are limited beyond the money. This is a point fans have heard for a long time, and it remains true to this day. Flexing their finances on a big free agent allows Rob Pelinka and company to use their limited trade capital elsewhere.
Lakers' big-money opportunity is more realistic this offseason
This summer should be one where the challenges brought by the second apron can help guide one of the bigger restricted names on the market to Los Angeles.
Kessler should be expected to remain with the Utah Jazz because their cap sheets are clean enough for them to match any offer sheet. Duren may be too big of a component to the Detroit Pistons for them to not bring him back.
Watson and Eason is where things get interesting.
Both the Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets face some serious financial difficulty when it comes to paying up for their restricted free agents. That is why the opportunity for the Lakers feels additionally rare here.
The second apron should scare the Nuggets off making what would otherwise be an obvious decision with Watson. If they want to bring him back, it could come at the cost of Christian Braun or Cameron Johnson. Denver will have to weigh the numbers.
In Houston, the situation is not as dire financially, but Eason receiving a deal north of $100 million should still be terrifying to his current front office. That is especially true considering the other needs which the Rockets will need to fill if they want to truly build a contender in Houston.
All that in mind, the Lakers preserving cap space should give them an excellent and rare shot to leverage money for an offseason steal that does not happen often. Whether it is Duren or Kessler, but more likely Eason or Watson, one of those players can look oh so good in purple and gold.
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