Lakers should just sign Paul George!

3. Setting the Stage

One the Lakers biggest advantages heading into this summer has been how perfectly positioned the Lakers have been to take advantage of opportunities. Signing just one superstar this summer gives the Lakers flexibility to perfectly position themselves to land a second or third superstar either by making a big deal at the trade deadline or by using cap space in next summer’s free agency. In fact, by waiting, the Laker would have the assets for two more superstars.

We won’t know until the season starts which free agents could be available at the trade deadline or next summer. Candidates could include Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jimmy Butler. There could also be surprise candidates as more and more NBA teams are hesitant to sign young players to maximum contract deals that could stifle flexibility and lock teams into situations where they had no way get better than tank.

Assuming the Lakers drafted three players and were successful in signing Paul George, Julius Randle, and Isaiah Thomas as free agents this summer, they would then have nine players on long term deals (Ingram, Ball, Kuzma, Hart, #14 pick, #25 pick, #47 pick, George, and Randle) and six players on short term deals (Bryant, Faried, Thomas, and three vet minimum players). In addition, the Lakers would still have their full complement of draft picks.

That would put the Lakers in the catbird’s seat as next season’s trade deadline approaches. They would have a plethora of young talent, a full complement of draft picks, and those invaluable midrange $10–15 million contracts every team needs to be able to match salaries when trading for a superstar. Right now, the Lakers would not be able to make a trade for a superstar because the only contracts they have are cheap rookie deals or Deng’s untradeable deal.

Next summer, assuming the Lakers sign George, Randle, and Thomas to contracts starting at $30.3 million, 15.0 million, and $12.0 million, the Lakers’ nine long term deals would total $81.9 million, leaving only $26.1 million in open cap space with an average max contract being $32.4 million. That means the Lakers would only have to move $6.2 million in contracts to create the cap space to sign another max contract superstar summer 2019.