The Los Angeles Lakers have not made many changes to their roster at the beginning of the offseason, but they have certainly made some notable moves. So far, the Lakers have traded Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince for rookies Dalton Knecht and Bronny James. Other transactions have involved players either returning to Los Angeles on new contracts or having their options picked up.
With LeBron James returning for nearly $50 million next season, the Lakers are not in a position to sign any free agents. They are just above the second apron, limiting them to minimum contract signings. Furthermore, the Lakers have already locked in 15 players on fully guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season.
Given these constraints, the Lakers will need to seek improvement through trades. Recently, they have been in talks with the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz. Players such as Dorian Finney-Smith from the Nets and Jerami Grant from the Blazers have been linked to potential trade discussions. Talks with the Jazz may involve moving salaries to create cap space for a trade to take place.
