Two-time NBA All-Star David Lee is the highest-paid player for the Golden State Warriors, pocketing roughly $15MM this season. He's expected to earn another $15MM next season, which would put the Warriors over the tax threshold with Draymond Green looking for a max extension. In the eyes of NBA analysts, this situation only suggests one thing: Lee's trade is imminent.
LaMarcus Aldridge and possibly Kevin Love, dependent on his decision to opt out from the final year of his contract, are the consensus top two power forwards up for grabs this summer. The Lakers, with a significant cap space at their disposal, have the resources to pursue either one of these highly-skilled big men.
However, having the financial flexibility doesn't guarantee success in free-agency period. General manager Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers front office learned this fact the hard way last offseason when they failed to land a single max contract eligible player in a top-heavy free-agency class that included Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and LeBron James.
This summer won't be any exception. Armed with the capacity to spend up to $27.9 million, the Lakers will make another attempt to bolster their lineup by salvaging one of several All-Star talents off the free-agency pool.
The purple-and-gold used to be a magnet for superstars in the past because of immense business opportunities the market presents, as well as the franchise's winning tradition. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case anymore, as talented players now prefer teaming up with fellow All-Stars for better shot at the NBA title. This change of trend left big market clubs and traditional powerhouses like the Lakers and the New York Knicks scrapping for talents in the dark the past two years.
Luckily for the Lakers, they can still save their offseason in the eventuality they missed out on the free-agency big wigs once again, although they need to understand the high-risk, high-reward nature of almost all fall-back options.
Two-time NBA All-Star David Lee is the highest-paid player for the Golden State Warriors, pocketing roughly $15MM this season. He's expected to earn another $15MM next season, which would put the Warriors over the tax threshold with Draymond Green looking for a max extension. In the eyes of NBA analysts, this situation only suggests one thing: Lee's trade is imminent.
Trading a player that eats almost 20 percent of the payroll isn't easy at all. The Warriors would need the connection and the creativity to unload this massive contract without compromising their flexibility.
For NBA pundits, the Lakers and the Knicks are the most ideal trade partners the Warriors could have for Lee because both of these clubs have the cap space to absorb his $15M paycheck. However, the Lakers appear to be a more strategic player out there as they have several assets that could pique the interest of Warriors front-office.
Jordan Hill, who averaged 12.0 points and 7.9 boards last season per ESPN Stats, emerges as the Lakers' biggest trade chip aside from the no.2 overall pick this summer primary because of the player's massive non-guaranteed contract. Teams trying to get their payroll below the tax line, like the Warriors, would find Hill's contract interesting, as they can easily get rid of $9 million by not exercising on a team option for the second year of a two-year, $18 million deal.
On the other hand, Lee could be a very decent acquisition for the Lakers next season despite averaging 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds last season - the lowest since his rookie year. Many NBA analysts think Lee is still capable of putting up double-double numbers, adding that his subpar 2014-15 NBA season was a product of Steve Kerr opting to give Green more minutes in a small-ball Warriors lineup. Moreover, with Lee's contract coming off the books at the end of the 2015-16 season, the Lakers will stay in contention for Kevin Durant next summer.
To make this trade work, the Lakers would need to package Hill alongside another mid-level earner. Nick Young, who had few run-ins with head coach Byron Scott, has been made available by the Lakers. The former USC standout will earn over $5M over the next three seasons, with the fourth year of the deal a player option. Averaging 12.3 points over his career, the 30-year old Young could bring in additional firepower off the bench for the Warriors as a potential reliever for Klay Thompson.
Trading for Lee should come as a last resort for the Lakers, if things don't go out as planned again this offseason. Los Angeles has suffered enough the past two seasons to the extent of fielding a roster consists mostly of NBA journeymen. With the no.2 overall pick coming in and Kobe Bryant's massive contract going out, the Lakers have nowhere to go but up.