The Lakers are officially back in the market for another star.
Los Angeles is trading Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones to the Wizards as part of the Anthony Davis trade with the Pelicans, according to ESPN.
Anthony Davis has also agreed to waive his $4 million trade bonus, per ESPN. Together, the trade and Davis’ declining of his trade bonus will leave the Lakers with $32 million in salary cap space at the start of free agency, enough for a max-level contract and to potentially create a Big Three with LeBron James.
With the Davis trade, Wagner, Bonga and Jones would have been the only three players under contract with the Lakers outside of LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma. Los Angeles is sending a 2020 second-round pick to the Lakers as part of the three-team deal, and the Wizards will send cash to New Orleans.
In moving those contracts, the Lakers will come within 125% of Davis’ salary – the difference in $23.7 million and the $32 million in cap space they now have available. The Lakers can now decide to disperse that $32 million between two or three players, or the more likely scenario, signing another max-level star to join ranks with James and Davis.
The Lakers are operating as if “they think they have a strong shot” at landing Kawhi Leonard, per Bleacher Report.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles has “serious interest” in bringing back D’Angelo Russell, whom they dealt to the Nets last offseason. The 23-year-old point guard enjoyed a breakout season in Brooklyn last season, and former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson recently said a return would be beneficial for both sides.
“He’s better now,” Johnson told The Athletic on Monday. “He’s a difference maker. He’s more mature.”
Should the Lakers land a max-level free agent, they will likely only be able to add free agents to veterans minimum deals as they fill out the rest of their extremely thin roster.



