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Los Angeles Lakers Not Getting Their Money’s Worth in Luol Deng
- Updated: December 7, 2016
LOS ANGELES — When the NBA’s salary cap jumped from $70 million to $94.1 million in July, most teams were flush with spending power.
The Los Angeles Lakers hit the summer with a new head coach in Luke Walton, the second pick in the draft in Brandon Ingram and a cadre of young, talented players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr. Yet they still had enough space under the salary cap to sign two maximum-salaried free agents to contract.
L.A. had hoped it would receive an audience of players like Kevin Durant, Hassan Whiteside and DeMar DeRozan. But after striking out with the stars, the Lakers spent their free-agent money on veterans Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov and, via trade, Jose Calderon. They also reinvested in Jordan Clarkson, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal.
Clarkson has been one of the Lakers’ best players this season. Mozgov, at $64 million over four years, has been a serviceable starting center, scoring 8.4 points a game while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.
Calderon was brought over from the Chicago Bulls, along with two second-round picks. His $7.7 million expiring contract isn’t a long-term concern.
It’s the Deng signing, at $72 million over four years, that has stood out for all the wrong reasons.
The 31-year old forward is the only Laker to start every night this season, but he’s shooting a career-low 34.1 percent from the field. He’s scoring only 6.8 points a game on 7.5 attempts.
The Lakers’ best defensive lineup features Brandon Ingram at small forward and Larry Nance Jr. at the 4.
Deng, earning $18 million this year, is the team’s highest-paid player; however, he’s the least-efficient regular contributor.
While Mozgov was signed to fill an area of need at center, the Lakers gave Deng a long-term deal to play the same position as Ingram, who should be the team’s starter at small forward by next season (if not sooner).
Last year, Deng filled in well for an injured Chris Bosh at power forward with the Miami Heat. With teams going smaller, Deng is better suited at the 4, but then the Lakers also have Randle and Nance who need to play most of those minutes.
To his credit, Deng has been a positive voice in the locker room. He hasn’t complained when Walton hasn’t played him to close out games. The Lakers needed to add mature, quality people to the roster, and Deng fits that bill well.
But then, so does Metta World Peace at a minimum contract for one year at $1.6 million.
So, what options do the Lakers have, if they wanted to get out of Deng’s contract?
The answers aren’t entirely clear with the NBA and the NBA Players Union working to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). A new deal, which would start next season, could change some of the rules that might pertain to Deng.
If the new deal includes a one-time amnesty provision, the Lakers would be able to waive Deng outright. The team would still owe him $54 million, but that money would come entirely off their salary cap.
Another option, assuming there’s a reasonable chance the CBA doesn’t include such a provision, is waiving and stretching Deng’s salary over seven years, which would cost the Lakers $7.7 million a season.
The better choice is finding a trade partner (Deng cannot be dealt until Dec. 15). The challenge would be finding a team willing to take on the veteran’s entire contract.
Deng spent many years playing for Tom Thibodeau in Chicago. Thibodeau is now the head coach and president of basketball operations with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If Thibodeau was open to a reunion with Deng, perhaps he’d be willing to give up a player like Shabazz Muhammad, who will be a restricted free agent this summer. To match salaries, the ‘Wolves would need to send the Lakers a player like Nikola Pekovic, who is out for the season with an ankle injury.
The Lakers wouldn’t covet Pekovic, who may …
