The Los Angeles Lakers had until July 20 to decide whether or not they would guarantee Shake Milton’s one-year, $3 million contract for the 2025-26 season. They expectation all along is that Milton will not be with the Lakers next season, either waiving him and saving that money against the first apron hard cap or including his salary in a trade.
July 20 is a rare guarantee date for an NBA contract. These dates will typically be at the very start of the new league year, on the first day of the regular season, or at some point during the regular season. But this July 20 date gave the Lakers ample time and flexibility to either include him in a trade before waiving him.
The Lakers were obviously unable to find a taker, and they reportedly added Marcus Smart as a free agent after he was waived by the Washington Wizards.
In order to give Smart the bi-annual exception (BAE) of around $5 million they would need to waive Milton, which they are doing, per Shams Charania of ESPN:
The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Shake Milton, sources tell ESPN. Milton's $3 million contract for next season would have become fully guaranteed today. Lakers are clearing space for signing of Marcus Smart.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 20, 2025
The Lakers have a first apron hard cap and were under $1 million away from it prior to this decision. By waiving Milton, they now have about $3.9 million worth of room that can be used to sign Smart. With reports indicating that Smart is getting the full BAE, they will need to make another move to free up their remaining money.
Milton did not play much for the Lakers after being involved in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets and Dorian Finney-Smith to the Lakers. And with the heavy on-ball guard play on the Lakers roster already with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — as well as Gabe Vincent and the potential rotational ascension of Bronny James — Milton no longer made sense on the roster.
Unfortunately for him, he will now be getting a late start on free agency with a lot of teams already having full rosters for the 2025-26 season.
LeBron James expected to stay with Lakers
Arguably the biggest question surrounding the Lakers this offseason has been the future of LeBron James. He picked up his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season, but that was accompanied by a statement that led to more speculation and uncertainty.
While James has made it clear that he wants to compete for a championship and is uncertain if the Lakers will be able to do that, the expectation is still that he will be with L.A. when training camp starts in a couple of months.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
