No. We are over the cap. We have to send out in salary as much as we take in for the most part. We in theory could sign someone for 4 mil.

Those teams are over BOTH luxury tax thresholds, which means they are paying $50M to $150M in taxes on top of those payrolls.

League also just added major competitive disadvantages that those teams will have such as no buyout candidate, sign-and-trades, etc. Lakers won’t pay those huge payrolls and taxes.

New rules have not stopped Warriors, Clippers, Bucks, and Suns though. But Lakers ain’t Yankees, Dave.

Lakers are a big market team that operates financially like a small market team.

I’m gonna say San Antonio & Golden State.

Overinvesting in depreciating assets to stay relevant. Not having the leadership to push back against the podunk markets creating a CBA directly targeting the Lakers ability to sign the top free agents. Whiffing on every draft pick – none of them total busts, but none of them that guy.

Maybe, I was talking the same idea at work but he’s a key aspect of them maybe getting cap relief next season since his whole deal is non guaranteed.

When you’re paying ultra-max money and not getting MVP play, this outcome is inevitable.

Never understood why that’s been the case. So frustrating, man.

They arrived in New Orleans at 3:20 am, the 2nd night of a hard fought back to back. back to back. For a 6pm game, missing 2 players and Rui goes down after 7 minutes. I don’t know what you expected but I didn’t have high hopes.

Ya Refs cooked us all nite long, but I think LBJ’s 3 was a 2. Pullease get us some one! So Princess made 3-9 and TO’s 3. Reavsy choked it up. We will go .500 if we stay put. We need a 3RD STAR!

Same reason we couldn’t win squat when Kobe started “picking his spots.” Once “those guys” fall back to the pack but keep getting paid like they’re still him, their teams aren’t going anywhere.

That’s funny…I was just about to post regarding the inconsistency of the “others”. It’s the main reason why it’s so hard for D.Ham to set a lineup. Never know what he’s gonna get from those dudes on a night to night basis.

Darvin Ham’s vision of a game plan??? “Play Misty For Me”…..(Every single gosh darn time I type what I think his name is, it gets spellchecked!!! Can’t get it done without having to “Cast a Deadly Spell”….

Actually song goes back to around 1972…https://youtu.be/MofCwll5dR0?si=HVpyaCDgaxxBInZe

I’ve been agreeing with you since 2020 my man!