With 10 days until the NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers will be armed with the 2nd, 27th and 34th overall picks. Depending on who the Minnesota Timberwolves select, the Lakers are reportedly ‘locked’ on selecting Jahlil Okafor.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
A week after the NBA Draft is free agency where the Lakers are expected to be major players with a projected $23 million in cap space. One of the names the storied franchise is expected to pursue is current Atlanta Hawks forward, DeMarre Carroll. According to ESPN’s Kevin Arnovitz, Carroll could command a four year, $50 million contract:
Sources say the Hawks are bracing themselves for an asking price of 4 years and $50 million — and given the postseason Carroll put together and the interest around the league, possibly even more.
While the Hawks would like to re-sign Carroll, there is a possibility they may move in a different direction if the price tag is higher than anticipated:
If the price tag is much higher than that, there’s good reason to believe the flexibility-minded Hawks could bow out, though their strong preference is to retain Carroll, who has been an essential cog in their two-way success.
Since their season ended before the playoffs for the second consecutive season, numerous free agents have already been linked to the Lakers. While Carroll has established himself as one of the best defenders in the league, the asking price may also be too high for the Lakers.
Heading into the off-season, the Lakers look to take the next step in their current rebuild. With the return of Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle to go along with Jordan Clarkson, there is optimism with three draft picks and cap space to pursue a superstar free agent.
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