Sports
Lakers' Updated Roster, Starting Lineup, Salary Cap After 1st Day of NBA Free Agency – Bleacher Report
The Los Angeles Lakers have made some decisive moves on the first day of NBA free agency.
The Lakers brought back restricted free agent forward Rui Hachimura on a three-year, $51 million deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
Former Miami Heat guard Gabe Vincent also agreed to a contract with the Lakers, Charania reported.
The Lakers also added former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Taurean Prince, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported, and former Portland Trail Blazers forward Cam Reddish, per the Los Angeles Times‘ Brad Turner.
What does all that mean for the Lakers’ salary-cap outlook in 2023-24?
RFA Rui Hachimura has agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal to return to the Lakers, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>.
Free agent guard Gabe Vincent has agreed on a three-year, $33 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. Vincent's agent, Bill Neff, negotiated the new deal for a tremendous undrafted success story.
Free agent F Taurean Prince has agreed to a 1-year, $4.5 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agents Steven Heumann and Richie Beda of <a href="https://twitter.com/CAA_Basketball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CAA_Basketball</a> tell ESPN.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and agent Josh Hairston have agreed to a multi-year deal for Cam Reddish to join the Lakers.
The Lakers still have some roster questions to answer this offseason. Even with the return of Hachimura and the additions of Vincent, Prince and Reddish, the team will need five more players to meet the NBA roster minimum, per Spotrac.
Projected Roster and 2023-24 Salary (Expiration Year)
*estimated by Spotrac
LeBron James, SF: $47.6 million (2024, 2025 player option)
Anthony Davis, C: $40.6 million (2025, 2024 if early termination option taken)
Rui Hachimura, PF: $15.7 million* (2026)
Gabe Vincent, SG: $10.4 million* (2026)
Jarred Vanderbilt, PF: $4.7 million (2024)
Taurean Prince, PF: $4.5 million reported (2024)
Max Christie, SG: $1.7 million (2024)
Cam Reddish, SF: $TBD (2025)
A notable restricted free agent is shooting guard Austin Reaves (qualifying offer $2.2 million).
The Lakers also have undrafted forward Cole Swider, who signed a two-way contract, so he does not count against the cap.
Lakers Salary Cap
The Lakers will need to add five more players to get to the 14-man NBA roster minimum. First-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino is just about guaranteed a roster spot, as he’ll surely sign a contract soon.
Los Angeles used its bi-annual exception to sign Prince and most of its mid-level exception to acquire Vincent. The team now faces a hard cap of the $172.3 million first apron level, per HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan.
After signing Hachimura, the team will have about $43 million of that left to sign the rest of the roster.
The Lakers are now $43M below the first apron and $36M below the tax with 9 players.<br><br>Rui Hachimura at three years, $51M, and what I'm assuming is a minimum for Cam Reddish since their remaining mid-level amount is less than that.<a href="https://t.co/82ixkNVi5Q">https://t.co/82ixkNVi5Q</a> <a href="https://t.co/xK1FyvTL0Z">https://t.co/xK1FyvTL0Z</a>
The team has decisions to make regarding unrestricted free agent guards D’Angelo Russell, Lonnie Walker IV and Dennis Schröder.
To clear cap room, Los Angeles recently waived center Mo Bamba, who was set to receive $10.3 million next season, and declined to pick up a $16.5 million player option for shooting guard Malik Beasley, per ESPN.
Projected Starting Lineup
Gabe Vincent, PG
Austin Reaves, SG*
LeBron James, SF
Rui Hachimura, PF
Anthony Davis, C
*Restricted free agent, unsigned
How the rest of Los Angeles’ free agency plays out depends on how negotiations go with Reaves, whose replacement the Lakers will need to find in free agency if no deal can be worked out.
The team has been tied with Schröder and former Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Eric Gordon as potential free-agency targets, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.