The Los Angeles Lakers move in order to make sure they have the best roster next season is unforgiving as Kyrie Irving's request to be traded. According to reports, the Los Angeles Lakers team is confident; it can easily trade star player Jordan Clarkson in hopes of an open cap salary cap space next summer. As tempting as it may seem, the statistics show otherwise. According to Yahoo! Sports, for the next three years, Clarkson has a guaranteed salary of $37.5 million USD, a foreseen curb on what Lakers think as an easy trade.
Even if the Lakers waits off another season to trade him, they still need to shed more than $25 million USD to trade him.
The team who is considered to likely scout big time free agents like Russel Westbrook and LeBron James next summer, it will take more than a Clarkson trade to free its salary cap space. In order to acquire the likes of James and Westbrook, Lakers' maxed up salary space could mean letting go of Luol Deng and three more from Lakers roster.
In a report by Eric Pincus of The Bleacherreport, he said: "One person within the organization who isn't permitted to speak publicly on the subject told Bleacher Report the team is confident it can move Clarkson if needed to open space."
Lakers' option in the trade
While the team has not implied having an interest in trading more than Jordan Clarkson, next summer's free agency has everything to offer and every chance for the Lakers to rebuild its franchise.
According to reports, free agents include DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma Cty Thunders and Paul George of the Indiana Pacers.
The Los Angeles Laker's latest trade
According to the CBS Sports, when the Lakers traded its No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell along with Timofey Mozgov, they were eyeing not only for Nets' Brook Lopez but also to create a space cap for Paul George.
Fortunately for the Lakers team, it shouldn't be a complicated trade as George previously expressed his desire to play with the team. Apparently, the Lakers team has been building around younger players and not investing on a veteran star that, even in the odds of shedding a massive amount of money, could help redeem the team's glory days.
If the Los Angeles Lakers are willing to move its players and adjust its salary cap, they may have to play with the odds of trading more than Jordan Clarkson, a risky and challenging option that could make or break the team's hopes of rising in status.
