Luol Deng is leaving money on the table in order to part ways with the Los Angeles Lakers. The number was previously reported to be $7.5 million but it appears that number wasn't completely accurate. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the buyout reduction is worth $7.3 million.
More important than the $200,000 difference in the buyout reduction is the fact that the Lakers are still projected to have $38 million in cap space for the summer of 2019. It's no secret that the Lakers are hoping to pair LeBron James with another star and give the Golden State Warriors a scare.
The 2018 offseason was amok with rumors of a potential Lakers-Spurs trade involving Kawhi Leonard. But nothing came about between the two teams. Now the Lakers could bring in Kawhi next summer without having to part with any assets, which would be the best of both worlds for Los Angeles.
Not to mention, the Warriors could lose Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson next summer in free agency. Both of those players would need to seriously consider Los Angeles as a destination if they are thinking about leaving Golden State.
All things considered, the Luol Deng buyout may not seem like a monumental move, but it helps give Los Angeles the flexibility to heavily pursue the top free agents in 2019. The Deng signing was awful, and Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka's maneuvering to get out from under that contract was necessary.
If the Lakers can go out next summer and cash in on that flexibility, their championship hopes will be high.
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