This article was compiled from: ESPN
Written by Bobby Marks
原标题：NBA offseason guide: Big questions facing the Lakers
The Lakers for the 2022-23 season are essentially two teams. The first team started with a 2-10 start and hovered at the end of the Western Conference standings. The second Lakers were one of the best teams in the league, winning 18-8 in their final 26 regular season games, making it all the way to the Western Conference finals before being eliminated by the Nuggets.
Now, the Lakers face a questionable offseason, what kind of team do they want to be?
Lineup status in the offseason
Free agents: Troy Brown Jr., Dangelo Russell, Malik Beasley (team option), Gabriel, Hachimura (limited), Reeves (limited), Schroder, Tristan Thompson, Lonnie Walker, Pippen Jr. (limited)
General manager Pelinka and management need to make a decision, whether they intend to look for a third star to partner James again, such as Kyrie Irving, who is watching from the sidelines in G4? However, it is clear that this comes at the expense of their depth. The Lakers are unlikely to choose that way for two reasons. First, the Lakers' top-heavy roster in the first half of the season made them struggle, and management should not be willing to repeat history; Second, under the new collective bargaining agreement, it will be extremely difficult to build a team of three players with a total annual salary of $130 million.
With the Lakers' record (18-8) second best in the league after the trade deadline, and they also reached the divisional finals, does that mean the Lakers should forgo salary flexibility and focus on keeping their young free agents? Considering that the Lakers' 2024 first-round round belongs to the Pelicans and the 2027 first-round belongs to the Jazz, this is the route they are more likely to choose.
Theoretically, the Lakers could free up $30.5 million in salary space by cutting Vanderbilt and Bamba, not executing Beasley's team option, and forgoing signing free agents Russell, Lonnie Walker and Hachimura, which would increase to $35 million if they traded Christie and the first round.
However, the starting salary Irving wants is $47 million a year. Even if the Lakers can sign Irving with 30.5 million, their roster reinforcement space is already very limited, retaining James, Thick Eyebrows, Christie, Reeves, 7.6 million exceptions and two draft picks, in addition to all players have to be filled by veteran base salaries, which will make the Lakers' depth very fragile. Don't forget, James, Bushy Brow and Irving haven't played more than 65 games a year over the past three seasons.
The only realistic way for the Lakers to stay at the Eight Village Base and get Irving is a complicated sign-and-trade. It will take the cooperation of the Lone Ranger, and due to the 169.5 million hard cap, Irving will need to take a significant salary cut to allow the Lakers to keep Reeves and Hachimura at the same time. A sign-and-trade deal also requires the Lakers to match salaries, which requires them to secure Bamba and Beasley's contracts first, or have Russell join them (as he played in 2019, completing the sign-and-trade with Durant).
To avoid repeating the heavy penalty of the luxury tax (the fourth in five years), if the Lakers' goal is to keep Russell, Walker, Hachimura and Reeves, then Bamba must be waived and Beasley's team option cannot be executed.
Financial position during the offseason
The Lakers' salary is expected to exceed the $134 million salary cap, and a key date is June 30, before which the Lakers must decide whether to execute Beasley's $16.5 million team option and whether to guarantee Bamba ($10.3 million) and Vanderbilt ($4.6 million) contracts.
One area to watch is the number of years of contract that management is willing to sign at the end of the season. James and Bushy Brow could become free agents in 2024, while the Lakers' payroll for the 2025-26 season will be emptied of paychecks. The Lakers only have Walker's non-bird rights and can sign up to a $7.8 million contract. The Lakers can still get the full mid-range of $12.2 million, but using more than $5 million could force them to pay taxes and trigger hard caps. They can choose not to renew Russell's contract and instead use the middle class for one or two other players.
Priorities for management
Reeves and Hachimura are the players that Lakers management prioritizes to stay. In the final 11 games of the regular season, Reeves averaged 19.8 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 58/46/90 from three-point range. During the regular season, when he played with James and Thick Eyebrows, the Lakers won by 14.3 points in 100 rounds. Reeves is averaging 16.9 points per game and shooting 44.3 percent from three-point range in the playoffs, and his playoff scoring ranks third on the team, behind James. Reeves is a restricted free agent, and the Lakers can sign him to a maximum four-year, $53 million contract, and the Lakers can match any offer from other teams due to the terms of Arenas.
The Lakers have until June 30 to make a $7.7 million qualifying offer for Hachimura, making him a restricted free agent. During the playoffs, Hachimura shot 55.7 percent from the field and 48.7 percent from three-point range, ranking second in points from the league off the bench behind Green Army guard Brogdon.
Renewal candidates
In addition to signing free agents, the Lakers will also face a decision to renew players this offseason. Thick Brow will be eligible for a three-year, $167.5 million maximum salary extension after Aug. 5. From February 12 until the end of the regular season, Thick Eyebrow averaged 25 points, 13.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, shooting 55% from the field. His contract has an option to terminate early for the 2023-24 season, with the potential to become a full free agent next offseason.
Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.6 million contract extension until July 1, and given the short- and long-term financial outlook, giving Russell a $30 million annual contract is an unlikely option for the Lakers. In the four games of the Western Conference finals, Russell averaged 6.3 points, 2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, shooting 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from three-point range.
Other renewal candidates: Malik Beasley and Vanderbilt
Team needs: depth and projection
June Draft picks: 17th and 47th
Future Draft Assets: Although the Lakers owe the Pelicans a first-round round in 2024, they can still trade the 2023 first-round on draft night, and the Pelicans have the right to postpone the 2024 first-round round to 2025. The Lakers also owe the Jazz a 2027 first-round (top-four protection). The only first-round they can trade right now is the first round in 2029, and they also have three second-round picks to trade.