For the Lakers, the 2021-22 regular season is halfway through, with 41 games and 21 wins and 20 losses. At this stage last season, the Lakers' record was 28 wins and 13 losses. Obviously, the Lakers have won 7 fewer games, and they have had many problems since the beginning of the season, but there is also good news, And Munch's outbreak should be the Lakers' biggest gain in the half.
So far this season, Munch has averaged 12 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, and in the past 7 games that have been promoted to starters, Munch has averaged 20 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, surpassing Westbrook (15.6 points) and becoming the Lakers' second-largest scorer in the same period. Munch is not only capable of scoring, but also highly efficient. In these 7 games, Munch shot 51% from the field, 48.1% from three-point range, and 89.5% from the free throw line, almost at the level of "180 clubs", and he averaged 3.6 three-pointers per game!
It is indeed not an exaggeration to say that Munch is the biggest gain of the Lakers in the half-way. Munch and the Lakers signed a year-end salary of only $1.79 million, and he is undoubtedly one of the most cost-effective players this season. Not to mention that Munch is not yet 24 years old, and there is still room for improvement. However, it is very difficult for the Lakers to keep him in the team for a long time.
The US media recently analyzed in detail the prospects of the Lakers leaving Munch. According to the NBA's salary rules, unless the Lakers clear out the salary space, the most they can pay Munch in the summer is the middle class exception (mini middle class) of the luxury tax team, Bleacher Report expert Eric Pincus pointed out is about $6 million a year. However, with Munch's current performance, such a price is difficult to keep him.
Even if there is limited salary space for multiple teams next summer, Munch is still expected to get at least a full-scale middle-class special contract, probably a four-year contract with a starting price of $10 million. When the Lakers did not leave Caruso, Caruso signed a similar contract with the Bulls, specifically 4 years and 37 million, and Caruso did not get the full middle class.
So, what other way can the Lakers renew Munch?
Us media pointed out that even if the opportunity is slim, the Lakers may still find a plan to keep the young man. One way is for Munch to sign a one-year, $6 million contract next season, which would allow him to sign an early bird contract in 2023. This is actually convincing Munch to sacrifice another year's salary in exchange for a big contract that will be compensated in the future, and from another point of view, this is the Lakers' promise. The US media believes that there is a possibility that Munch cannot maintain the current state, if he falls into a downturn in the late regular season or playoffs, it will lead to a decrease in the possibility of him being pursued by other teams in the offseason, of course, this happens, it will also hurt the Lakers' performance this season.
Another way to keep Munch is harder to do. That is, the Lakers lowered their total salary below the luxury tax line, leaving room for Munch to give him a full-middle-class contract. But don't forget, the Lakers' top 4 players with annual salaries alone have already invested $140 million in the team. Unless the Lakers dump Wei Shao, reap the expiring contract in return. Otherwise, the Lakers may only enjoy munch's use for the remaining half of the season, and then say goodbye to him painfully.