The Cavaliers may have inadvertently traded LeBron James to the Lakers today.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Los Angeles had been seeking a trade partner for several months to rid themselves of Jordan Clarkson’s cap number. The move, in theory, would clear the way for the purple and gold to have cap space for two max players this summer.
Today, in a shocking twist, Magic and the Lake show flipped Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr for a pair of expiring contracts and a first-round pick. Here’s why according to Magic.
“I wouldn’t have made the move if I wasn’t confident,” Johnson said Thursday at the team’s facility after acquiring Thomas, Channing Frye and a protected 2018 first-round pick from Cleveland. ”
“But again, we’re still on the outside looking in. No matter how good we’ve been playing, we’re not in the playoffs, we are not one of the top eight teams in the West. That’s just the bottom line. So I don’t want to stay in this position. I want to have us be in the playoffs, and the only path to that is to add to the roster that we already have.”
Johnson added: “I don’t want to stay where we are. I don’t want to be on the outside of the playoffs looking in. We have to take another step, right? So this move allows us to position ourselves to hopefully take that next step.”
Magic’s words line up with a 2018 free agent class headlined by two obvious stars in LeBron James and Paul George. Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka echoed similar sentiments.
If you break it down and study the cap, we feel like we are the most strongly situated franchise in the NBA in terms of where our cap stands.
History has taught us to never count out the Lakers. Even if LA were to strike out next summer, they would still have cap space to roll over for future stars hitting the market. By my count, someone at some point and time will jump at the opportunity to suit up for the purple and gold as “the man”.