The Lakers already have a depleted frontcourt without Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol dealing with injuries, and the absence of Hill is only making life harder for the coaching staff. Hill gave the Lakers instant offense off the bench and the coaches could rely on him to crash the boards and play some solid defense in the paint.
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However, Los Angeles will no longer have Hill’s presence on the court this season and the front-office may look to add another big man to fill the void. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Lakers have until Tuesday to file a disabled players exception, something that will allow them to pursue a replacement for Hill.
The Lakers have until Tuesday to apply for a “disabled players exception” for Jordan Hill.
According to the Larry Coon’s NBA Salary Cap FAQ, the Lakers can apply for an exception worth half of Hill’s $3.56-million salary. There’s no guarantee the league will approve the exception if the Lakers even apply for it, but if granted, the Lakers would gain about $1.78 million in additional spending power.
The Lakers waived Darius Johnson-Odom several days ago, meaning the team has enough space on the roster to bring in another player.
Nevertheless, it will be hard to find someone that can provide the Lakers with the same energy and hustle as Hill did.