The Los Angeles Lakers have turned their offseason roster construction efforts around with their recent signing of Marcus Smart in free agency.
While this has positively addressed the team’s need for an elite defender, the Lakers may package Dalton Knecht and Maxi Kleber in a trade move before finalizing Smart’s signing, according to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin.
As things stand, certain cap constraints prevent the team from completing the move. Irwin suggested that this was indicative of a potential trade to clear cap space on a recent episode of “Lakers Lounge.” He said:
“The Lakers have a couple of paths they can head down. One, the Lakers would prefer to complete some type of a consolidation trade, where they send out an expiring contract and Dalton Knecht, and they bring in a player that they are more confident will help them this year and continue on without having to waive Jordan Goodwin.”
The Lakers are presently expected to offer Marcus Smart a two-year, $11 million deal. Although the buyout from the Wizards lets the team acquire him at a discount, the Lakers still do not have the bi-annual exception (BAE) available to them to do so.
While Irwin discussed the situation surrounding Shake Milton, the Lakers eventually opted to waive the guard, clearing up the necessary roster space to acquire Smart. But their need to clear more cap space suggests that another move may be in the works.
The insider also addressed the possibility of Smart taking less money to facilitate the move happening, but this seems improbable. With this in mind, any trade involving Knecht and Kleber could hint at the Lakers’ strategic direction.
Knecht has garnered a lot of interest in trade rumors over the offseason. As a sharpshooter with high upside, the young guard brings a lot to the table, even if his display in the Summer League was somewhat underwhelming.
Meanwhile, Kleber now serves more as an experienced veteran big man at this stage in his career. While his intelligence and floor spacing ability could be of value to several teams in the league, his status as an expiring contract makes him a more appealing acquisition.
When considering what the Lakers could get in return for these two, it is important to remember the team’s preference for expiring/short-term contracts that will keep their cap space clear for next season.
Additionally, having addressed the concerns regarding their big man rotation, the Lakers are more likely to pursue a wing defender. While a star-caliber player is an unlikely acquisition in this trade package, the Purple and Gold could look to sign a player capable of contributing to winning right away.
Update: The Lakers have opted to waive Jordan Goodwin to clear more cap space to complete Marcus Smart’s signing. While efforts to facilitate trades were made in the last 24 hours, matters never moved beyond the initial stages. The Lakers also didn’t intend to give up significant draft assets in these deals.
