Jordan Hill (Photo : REUTERS)
The Los Angeles Lakers are anticipated to go for the home run this offseason, attempting to make another shot at finally salvaging a certified star after two years of disappointments. But for the purple-and-gold to have enough ammo in what will be a frantic free-agency war, they would have to sacrifice power forward Jordan Hill in the process.
In his recent feature article on Bleacher Report, NBA writer Howard Ruben talked about the prospect of the Lakers parting ways with Hill, who is the best offensive big man last season, to free-up additional $9 million in cap space.
With the cap space ceiling expected to go north of $67 million, the Lakers will have a $28 million buying power to purchase at least two All-Star caliber players.
However, in order for the Lakers to get to that number, they would have to cut their ties with Hill by not exercising the team option for the second year worth $9 million or even trade him for non-guaranteed deals or a pick.
"[Mitch] Kupchak and the Lakers will need to make a decision on Hill soon. They could pick up his $9 million option, which would then reduce the available cap space to around $19 million, based on the NBA's projected salary cap of $67.1 million (per ESPN.com) for the coming season," according to Ruben.
Between the two options, using Hill's value as a trade chip would be a wiser move for the Lakers. Hill, who averaged 12.0 points and 7.9 rebounds while shooting 45 percent from the field during the 2014-15 season, has proven himself as one of the better young big men in the league.
He might not be a flat-out star player, but his ability to make impact on both ends of the floor in short minutes would be an instant boost to any team, especially for contenders in need of depth in their frontline. Moreover, teams looking to stay under the luxury tax threshold could find Hill's $9 million expiring contract an intriguing option as well.
There's no discounting Hill's heart and hustle for the Lakers the last four seasons, but the Lakers can afford to lose him largely because they have another budding big man in Tarik Black who could fill the void next season.
