The buyout market is bustling, and the Lakers are quiet.
When the trade deadline is over, bringing in buyout players is the best way for teams to strengthen. A more accurate statement of the buyout market should be a layoff market, and the layoffs are divided into two categories, one is direct layoffs, and the other is buyouts.
The layoff is simple, the team does not need to negotiate with the player, directly terminate the contract, but pay the player's rest of the contract in full guaranteed wages.
Buyouts are more complicated, with teams negotiating with players to reach a buyout amount, which is usually less than the player's guaranteed salary for the rest of the contract. After the buyout agreement is negotiated, the player passes a 48-hour clears waivers and becomes a free agent if no team claims it, and the original team pays the buyout fee according to the terms of the agreement.
There is a key point in the layoff market, specific to this season is March 2, Beijing time, only players who were cut or bought out by the team before this date can sign with the new owner to participate in the playoffs of this season, so March 2 is also known as the "playoff qualification layoff deadline".
In addition to the "playoff qualification layoff deadline", there is also a "signing deadline", which is the last game day of the team's regular season, such as the Lakers' last regular season game this season is On April 10, that day is the Lakers' signing deadline.
It should be noted that the "playoff qualification layoff deadline" is set for players in the NBA roster this season, and players who have not played in the NBA this season (including playing in overseas leagues) are not limited by this point in time, and they can play in the playoffs as long as they get a contract before the team's final game day of the regular season.
Taking the Lakers as an example, players in the NBA team roster this season were laid off (cut or bought out) before March 2, and signing a contract with the Lakers before April 10 can play the playoffs for the Purple and Gold Army (if the Lakers can enter the playoffs). Players who are not on the NBA team roster this season can play in the playoffs for the Lakers as long as they sign with the Lakers before April 10.
Layoff market signings this season
Bemburi: Cut by the Nets, signed for bucks.
Tristan Thompson: Bought out by the Pacers to sign the Bulls.
Dragic: Bought out by the Spurs to sign for the Nets.
Eubanks: Cut by the Raptors, signed to the Trail Blazers.
Javin Carter: Cut by the Nets to sign for bucks.
Satoransky: Bought out by spurs and will sign for the Wizards (not yet officially announced).
Layoffs market players to be signed, as well as players who may be bought out
Pending signing: Augustine, Oak Parra, Almoni Brooks and other players.
Possible buyouts: Bazemore (Lakers), Jordan Jr. (Lakers), Ellington (Lakers), Bledsoe (Trail Blazers), Hood (Clippers), O'Gerald (Clippers), Gary Harris (Magic), Robin Lopez (Magic), Wall (Rockets), Schroeder (Rockets).
Objectively speaking, this year's layoff market is worse than in previous years, a year ago at this time, the market has Griffin, Aldridge, Drummond and other players with All-Star resumes, and this year there are few big players in the market, Dragic is relatively good, the Nets have preemptively signed.
There are two main reasons for this situation, one is that the play-off system has become a fixed operation in the league, and the ninth and tenth divisions also have the opportunity to compete for playoff seats, unless the team is firmly rotten, or the players are determined to go, otherwise the team will not easily cut off the players who are still good on the field to provide convenience for other teams to strengthen.
Second, the players also realize that entering the market at this point in time is usually a basic salary contract, unless you are like Griffin, Ade, who is not bad money, poor in the championship, otherwise you must have a particularly good performance, in order to increase the basic salary to the amount you want in the offseason, which is very difficult. In addition, whether it is laid off or bought out, the Bird right will be lost. So now many players are more inclined to stay in place and wait until the offseason.
Although the market is not very good, but the Nets, Bucks and Bulls and other teams have received reinforcements from it, and the Lakers who did not move before the trade deadline still found nothing, the Lakers do not plan to sign people?
Let's take a look at Pelinka's operation after winning the championship in 2020.
2020 Offseason: Waived (trade or no renewal) Bradley, Danny Green, Howard, McGee, Rondo, J.R. Smith, Vitesse. Gasol Jr., Harrell, Matthews, McKinney, and Schroeder were introduced.
2021 Trading Deadline: Zero Trading.
Layoffs (buyouts) in the 2021 market: Signing Drummond and McLemore.
2021 offseason: Waived (trade or no renewal) Kostas Antetokounmpo, Kocock, Pop, Caruso, Drummond, Dudley, Gasol Jr., Harrell, Kuzma, Matthews, McKinney, McLemore, Markieff Morris, Schroeder.
Anthony, Ariza, Bazemore, Bradley, Dunbua, Ellington, Howard, Jay Huff, Jordan Jr., Munch, Nun, Reeves, Rondo, and Westbrook were introduced.
2022 Trading Deadline: Zero Trading.
Layoffs (buyouts) market in 2022: No operation yet.
Combing through the operation of Pelinka, the offseason is fierce, a lot of resources are consumed, and then the trade deadline is in place, the buyout market is resigned to fate, because the relatively good players in this market have the initiative to choose, the team is passive, drummond last season will choose the Lakers, one is because the team has high exposure, and the other is that if it can help the Lakers defend their title, it is expected to increase the value, although the final result is very large with the ideal of "Zhuang Shen".
Today's Lakers exposure is still there, but the hope of rushing to the championship is slim, whether they can enter the playoffs now is a problem, especially in the thick eyebrow brother's comeback may be delayed, whether they can catch up with the final stage of the regular season is not easy to say, the Lakers are already worse.
The Lakers are currently ninth in the West with 27 wins and 32 losses, seven wins behind the Sixth Nuggets in the West, and the likelihood of directly making the playoffs is very low. If the Lakers are ninth in the final regular season ranking, they will have to win two consecutive games in the playoffs to get a playoff spot. Even if the Lakers make the playoffs, how far can they go with the competitive state they have shown this season?
The Lakers have two less good places this season, offense is not good, defense is not good, offensive efficiency is 24th in the league, defensive efficiency is 15th, in the case of a comeback of the thick eyebrow brother, which buyout player has the strength to rescue this team? Will players with this kind of combat power look at the current Lakers?
To be honest, before Schroeder and Westbrook came to the Lakers, they were not so bad, how come they lost their value when they arrived at the Lakers? Lakers say that people destroy the big environment, and people can also say that the lakers' big environment is not good in the first place.
The Lakers may still sign people, but considering the resource conditions in the market, the attractiveness of the Lakers, and their current strength, how meaningful can such a signing be?
Rich Paul spoke with the Lakers hierarchy on behalf of James, and the two sides agreed on the team's development plan, trying to play the rest of the season as well as possible, waiting until the offseason to seek opportunities to improve the team's combat effectiveness.
This plan can also be interpreted as this season is like this, where to play, offseason, this is more in line with Pelinka's summer drastic operating habits, the Lakers have a contract of only one year left in the summer, two first-round signings in 2027 and 2029 can be used for trade, and the operating space can be larger.
Wait until August 5, James can renew his contract with the Lakers in advance, and old Zhan may now be able to calm his mind and accept the Lakers to play to the end with this lineup, but when it comes to the summer, the Lakers can no longer challenge his endurance limit.
When a superstar can't stand it, anything can happen.