ESPN: Lakers have interest in re-signing four of their free agents
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers will have some big and important decisions to make this summer. A number of their key players, including LeBron James, will become free agents once this season ends, and the team is projected to have at least roughly $50 million in salary cap space. As a result, its roster could look significantly different come October.
There has been lots of talk that the Lakers will make a run at Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and possibly use that cap space to go after him. But according to Dave McMenamin and Tim Bontemps of ESPN, they may instead prioritize keeping enough of their current core together.
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"L.A. will have close to $50 million in projected cap space this summer with James' $52.6 million and Rui Hachimura's $18.3 million salaries off the books, assuming both Deandre Ayton ($8.1 million) and Marcus Smart ($5.4 million) pick up their player options," McMenamin and Bontemps wrote.
"The Lakers aren't expected to take that $50 million and give it to another star instead of James. They have interest in re-signing [Austin] Reaves, Jaxson Hayes and Luke Kennard, team sources told ESPN, not to mention Hachimura, if the price is right. Reaves will decline a $14.9 million player option and enter unrestricted free agency, sources familiar with his plans told ESPN.
"He will have a $20.9 million free agent cap hold, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks, which will leave Los Angeles at that $50 million cap space number no matter how close Reaves' new deal comes to the five-year, $241 million max contract he is eligible to sign."
Many people around the NBA have expected Reaves, who has emerged as a bona fide star, and the Lakers to eventually agree on a new contract this offseason. Kennard, a sharpshooter Los Angeles acquired just before the trade deadline, is averaging 8.7 points in 21.8 minutes a game while shooting 55.9% from the field and 48.1% from 3-point range since coming to the team. Hayes has played very well this season in relief of Ayton and, at times, has gotten crunch-time minutes, especially in recent weeks.
Hachimura may be a bit tougher to keep, given his ability to score and the fact that he's only 28 years of age. He's putting up 11.1 points in 28.4 minutes per game and shooting 50.7% overall and 43.3% from downtown this season.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: ESPN: Lakers have interest in re-signing four of their free agents