The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to prioritize cap space in this upcoming summer, as well as the next one, is beginning to look ingenious. This revelation comes courtesy of…Trae Young. And probably Ja Morant, too.
Young was sent to the Washington Wizards in a deal that makes the Lakers’ Luka Doncic heist look like even more of a highway robbery. The returning package—CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert, and zero draft picks—also proves that the bar for bankrolling max and near-max contracts continues to climb higher.
Teams are more reluctant than ever to commit big money not just to non-stars, but pretty much anyone who’s not a consensus top-10-to-20 player.