What’s better than one max-level free agent? Two, of course.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, rival teams believe the Los Angeles Lakers hope to pull off the biggest free agency coup since 2010 by signing both LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan.
The Lakers are working to unload contracts, trying to create significantly more salary cap space, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2015
Around the league, executives believe the Lakers are pursuing space to offer free agent deals to LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2015
The Lakers have ample cap room this summer – approximately $30 million in available space. And even more encouraging, the purple-and-gold will meet with each free agent big man on Wednesday once free agency officially opens.
Could Los Angeles’ dream of adding Aldridge and Jordan become a reality? Barring a roster upheaval of absolutely epic proportions, the team’s hopes will prove nothing more than that.
Why? The small matter of each player’s maximum contract number, a major payday neither Aldridge nor Jordan has indicated he’d be willing to forfeit.
Here’s Kevin Pelton of ESPN and John Schumann of NBA.com:
To offer two 7-9 max contracts, the Lakers would have to trade everyone on their roster but Kobe Bryant.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) June 30, 2015
Even w/ only Kobe & D'Angelo Russell on the roster, the Lakers don't have enough cap space to offer 2 max deals.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) June 30, 2015
Reminder: 36-year-old Kobe Bryant is due $25 million next season after signing a two-year, $48 million extension in November 2013 as he recovered from a ruptured achilles tendon. The five-time champion is absolutely entitled to every dollar the Lakers feel comfortable giving him. However, it’s still his wildly outsized salary that prohibits Los Angeles from an incredible free agency haul that could propel it back to respectability in the West next season.
Regardless, this was always going to be a pipe dream. It would be surprising if the Lakers brought in Aldridge or Jordan, let alone both. Either way, at least Mitch Kupchak and company are exploring every potential avenue back to immediate success in Bryant’s swan song.
