The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t necessarily lived up to expectations thus far, as they sit at 9th in the conference and 15th in the entire league with a .500 record. Fans have been calling for a trade to acquire a 2nd star to pair with LeBron James. However, it would be nearly impossible to trade for a star right now. The Lakers have lots of young talent and more than enough assets to get a deal done, so why is it nearly impossible for them to trade for a star right now?
Los Angeles Lakers Can’t Trade Yet
The Collective Bargaining Agreement
The reason the Lakers can’t trade for a star right now isn’t that the Lakers don’t have the pieces but rather because under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement it is not possible. The CBA says: “A free agent who signs a contract cannot be traded for three months following the date the contract is signed, or until December 15th, whichever is later”. For reference, the trade deadline is February 7th this year.
Who Can’t Be Traded
This means that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, or JaVale McGee can be traded until December 15th. This significantly hinders the Lakers chances of landing a star. These players are on large contracts that can be combined to match the salary of an incoming star player. If the Lakers were to try and trade for Bradley Beal, who is making $24.5 million, it would be relatively easy with these players. KCP, Rondo, and Beasley add up to $24.5 million. However, a trade like this won’t be possible until at least December 15th. This does give the Lakers nearly 2 months to pursue a 2nd star before the trade deadline.
Young Assets to Trade
While the Lakers do have lots of young talent that can be traded for a star, the salary would not match. Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Moritz Wagner, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart combine for $18.3 million in contract amounts, which is a fair amount of money. However, the Lakers aren’t going to trade all of these players away in one deal. The most they would really give up for a star is either Ingram or Ball; either Hart or Kuzma; and Wagner. A couple of potential packages could be Ingram, Hart, and Wagner or Ball, Kuzma, and Wagner. The most expensive trio adds up to only $11 million dollars. This essentially rules out the Lakers trading their young players for an established star.
The Lakers Will Just Have to Wait
There is no doubt that Lakers fans want a 2nd star, but they’ll just have to remain patient. Players like Beal, Kemba Walker, Goran Dragic, or Mike Conley may be rumored to be traded to the Lakers but they won’t be able to make a trade for at least a month because of the CBA rules. This may be a better idea anyway as this young Lakers core looks very promising in years to come. No matter how mediocre the Lakers are though, they do still have LeBron James.
Main Image:
ILLINOIS, USA – JANUARY 26: Brandon Ingram (14) of Los Angeles Lakers in action during an NBA game between Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers at United Center on January 26, 2018 in Chicago, United States. (Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
