1 Future Lakers problem nobody is talking about (and the tough decisions to come)

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most scrutinized organizations in the broad world of professional sports. As 17-time NBA champions with a list of alumni to which few in any sport can compare, it's understandable for Los Angeles to reside under the societal microscope.

Even the most heavily criticized organizations have characteristics that fly under the radar, however, and the Lakers have one specific problem that could derail their plans for the immediate future.

Los Angeles will enter the 2024-25 season with a roster that's deep when healthy, but riddled with injuries. All-NBA superstars Anthony Davis and LeBron James lead a roster that includes All-Star sharpshooter D'Angelo Russell, rising star Austin Reaves, and well-rounded forward Rui Hachimura.

That five-man lineup was undeniably successful in 2023-24, recording a net rating of plus-6.6 across 823 possessions played.

The second unit has a number of promising pieces, as well, including 2023 NBA Playoffs breakout performer Gabe Vincent and defensive specialist Jarred Vanderbilt. They're complemented by intriguing young players such as Max Christie and Dalton Knecht, and productive big Christian Wood.

Even if the second unit stays healthy, however, underperformance would burden the Lakers with two contracts that could prevent them from getting any closer to an 18th championship.

Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent: Prohibitive contracts and health concerns

Most are aware of the fact that Vanderbilt and Vincent appeared in a combined 40 games during the 2023-24 season. It's one of the primary reasons the Lakers struggled defensively and inevitably failed to develop any form of consistency during the regular season.

The unfortunate byproduct of that fact, however, is that Vanderbilt and Vincent effectively have until the 2025 NBA trade deadline to prove that they can help elevate the team.

If Vanderbilt and Vincent are unable to make the second unit considerably better, the Lakers will need to seriously consider a trade. They're due to make a combined $21,714,286 in 2024-25, which is more than affordable if they live up to their potential.

If they don't, however, the daunting reality is that they'll make $23,071,429 combined in 2025-26—with Vanderbilt owed another $25,714,285 between 2026-27 and 2027-28.

Those figures may not be terribly daunting with a rising salary cap, but they consume a healthy portion of it. For a Lakers team that will continue to max out Davis and James for as long as they play, every penny counts—and upwards of $23 million in a single season means an absence of flexibility.

That makes building a better team a significantly more difficult task, especially when one factors in Hachimura's $17 million salary in 2024-25 and the $18,259,259 he's due in 2025-26.

It's the difficult decision facing Pelinka in 2024-25: Do you hold on to the duo of Vanderbilt and Vincent if they're playing well, or plan for a potential need for improvement by trading them? Giving up on players while they're performing at an ideal level is a tough sell, but the Lakers are a team with minimal future cap space.

As they look to capitalize on having Reaves to a cost-efficient deal, Vanderbilt and Vincent are either going to elevate the Lakers or carry salaries that prevent the team from making considerable improvements next summer.

It's the unfortunate reality of the nonexistent margin for error that the presence of two max-level veterans creates.