Report: Lakers Trade 3 Players To Wizards, Anthony Davis Agrees To Waive $4M Trade Kicker To Clear Max Cap Space
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The Los Angeles Lakers have been the talking point of the NBA over the last several weeks as people wondered whether or not they would find a way to move the contracts necessary to open up a third max salary slot next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the team has done just that.
The Lakers have traded Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to the Washington Wizards, along with a 2022 second-round pick in exchange for cash, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski Thursday.
The deal will be wrapped into the much bigger Anthony Davis trade.
Just as important, Wojnarowski also reports that the soon-to-be acquired Davis has allegedly agreed to waive a $4 million trade kicker.
What this means is that when free agency starts on Sunday, the team will have $32 million in cap space. That'll be enough to sign a max-level free agent. Whether or not the team will spend all of that money on one star player like Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler, or spread it around to multiple players to surround James and Davis, remains to be seen.
The Lakers are trading Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis deal with New Orleans, league sources tell @ZachLowe_NBA and me. Deal clears contracts and creates more cap space for free agency.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 27, 2019
Regardless, the Lakers now find themselves in a position to be major players in the free agent market when it begins on Sunday at 3 p.m. Pacific time.