The Lakers are going back to the classics as they are reportedly focusing on preserving cap space to chase free agents in 2027.
Remember how much fun it was when the Lakers kept punting signing players in offseasons because they wanted to sign multiple free agents in a future offseason? Wouldn’t you love for them to do it again?
Well, President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka is here to grant your wishes!
The Lakers watched Dorian Finney-Smith depart this offseason at the start of free agency as he signed a four-year deal with the Rockets. While it was a salary figure the Lakers could have matched annually, the length of the contract was more than they wanted to offer.
Why is that, you ask? Well, those 2027 free agents are just too enticing! In his article about DFS’ departure, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported the following:
Though Finney-Smith was a popular locker room figure and helped the Lakers to a 14-6 record in the 20 games he started in the regular season, L.A. exercised discipline in its negotiations to preserve cap space for 2027, when the team expects to have space to sign a max-salary free agent.
Who is it they would be chasing in free agency? Well, the big one would be Nikola Jokic, who has a player option for the summer of 2027. Notably, he’s good friends with Luka Dončić, who would likely go some way in trying to recruit his friend, who would be coming off his age-31 season.
Other names set for free agency that summer are Giannis Antetokounmpo (player option), Karl-Anthony Towns (player option) and Donovan Mitchell (player option).
How much fun would it be to spend the next two years putting all the eggs in the 2027 basket!
Will the Lakers fully punt two full offseasons to keep maximum cap space for 2027? Almost assuredly not. LeBron James’ retirement will likely come before that offseason and would open a significant amount of cap space.
Is shaping offseason plans in 2025 to this degree around what you want to do in 2027 frustrating? No! It’s fun! We’re having fun!
Someone put Adam Levine in a Jokic jersey #NJtoLA
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.