It's been a long time since the offseason officially begun, and the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been dormant for a while, have finally heard the news that guard Malik Munch has the latest explanation. Munch is one of the Few Highlights of the Lakers' season, conquering teammates and management with his outstanding performance on the court, but such a brilliant performance also has the side effect that he will definitely arouse the interest of other teams after he becomes a free agent in the offseason, and it is difficult for the Lakers to sign him back. Earlier reports of Munch's psychological price for the new contract appear to have ruled out the Lakers, but a new report on Munch's market value upended that narrative and increased his chances of returning to the Lakers.
On a recent show by The Hops Hype Podcast, NBA journalist Michael Scott broke the news that some of the league executives he spoke to believe that Munch's new contract would be paid between $6 million and $10 million a year this offseason: "I interviewed four NBA executives who predicted that the average annual salary on Munch's new contract would be between taxpayer and non-taxpayer middle-class contracts, which would be between $6 million and $10 million a year. ”
If that eventually becomes a reality, it's definitely good news for the Lakers, who are currently offering the most taxpayer-dollar-per-year middle-class exception, which munch was previously widely predicted to receive from another team nearly twice that amount.
If one team offers you a 4-year, $45 million contract, I'm afraid no one will want to say no and instead accept a contract from another team that makes $6.4 million a year. But if Munch's market value is lower than previously predicted, accepting a one-year, $6.4 million contract isn't a hard-pressed affair, especially if he wants to stay in the big city of Los Angeles.
For example, Munch's market value is around $8 million, so the highest offer Munch can get this summer is a four-year contract worth $32 million, which is $25 million more than the total amount the Lakers paid him, but it will also cause Munch to have to accept a change in the role on the court because of joining a new team, and everyone knows that he will get more performance opportunities when he stays with the Lakers. And the Lakers will have salary space in 2023, when the Lakers can offer him a four-year compensatory contract worth a total of $45 million to $50 million, and in general, Munch may eventually earn $56.4 million in the next five years, equivalent to $11.28 million a year, and will not make Munch feel bad.
Overall, Munch's return to the Los Angeles Lakers isn't completely blocked, and as long as the other team doesn't make an outrageously high offer, it's possible to see Munch put back on his purple and gold jersey next season in the NBA.