The Lakers are back in the spotlight after an eventful offseason. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka bolstered the young roster with LeBron James and a cadre of veteran signings. But there's one veteran on the roster that is all but forgotten.

Luol Deng is set to make just under $37 million over the next two seasons. But the likelihood of Deng every playing in a Lakers uniform again looks bleak. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, one Lakers executive believes Deng is all but semi-retired. Pincus writes:

“Could Luol Deng be a stopgap as a small center after sitting out most of last season?

The executive said Deng is all but semi-retired. He may never play again in the NBA unless he has a change of heart.”

Deng's production dropped off a cliff in 2016-17 and he's been exiled ever since. In fact, Deng only appeared in one game during the 2017-18 season. The Lakers are paying him an awfully large sum of money to stay away from the team.

Magic and Pelinka would love to trade his contract and leave it in the rearview, but it's unlikely any team will bite unless a serious asset is included in the deal. The Lakers front office will need to get creative if they want to get the semi-retired Deng out of their hair.

If they can't find an alternative, they'll have to live with a semi-retired, exiled Deng sitting at home and cashing checks. He may not be playing, but the Lakers have to keep paying him.