The Los Angeles Lakers made most of their off-season moves official on Thursday as the team traded for center Roy Hibbert and signed guard Lou Williams and forward Brandon Bass. However, the team still has some more tools in free agency.
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General manager Mitch Kupchak says the Lakers still have their Room Exception available worth $2.8 million according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
Mitch said Lakers still have room exception available, wasn't used on Bass. Also, Roy Hibbert waived trade kicker
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 10, 2015
This is a huge deal as the Lakers still have holes that can be filled on the roster and can offer more than a minimum contract in order to do so. In particular, the Lakers are relatively thin at the small forward position as all signs point to Kobe Bryant starting there once the season starts.
Players such as Dorell Wright, K.J. McDaniels, Will Barton, and Alonzo Gee are all players who could fill that void for the Lakers. It is worth noting that both McDaniels and Barton are restricted free agents, so the team may target someone easier to obtain.
The Lakers made some very shrewd moves this summer after striking out on their original targets, and doing so while keeping their room exception was an excellent thing to do. The Lakers moves don’t seem to be done just yet, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see another player brought in.
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