The Los Angeles Lakers officially announced the waiving of veteran forward Luol Deng on Saturday afternoon. It was reported Saturday morning that the Lakers were waiving Deng using the stretch provision.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka released this statement on the move:
“We want to thank Luol for his time with the Lakers,” said Pelinka. “We made this move to further our future salary cap and roster flexibility, as we continue to build this Lakers team according to our current overall vision.”
Deng signed a surprisingly massive four-year, $72 million deal during the summer spending spree of 2016. The contract backfired, with Deng struggling during the 2016-17 season and then barely playing last season as the Lakers focused on their youth movement. The 33-year-old played just 13 minutes in the first game of the season and didn't see the floor again.
Deng's best days are obviously behind him, and the Lakers had no use for the veteran given the rest of the roster and their desire to open up more cap space in 2019 as they hunt another star to pair with LeBron James. With this move, Los Angeles will have space for a max deal next summer.
Deng still believes he can contribute in the NBA, though, and one ESPN report says there will be “several contenders” interested in the 14-year veteran. The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reports likely interest from the Minnesota Timberwolves, which makes sense given how much Tom Thibodeau leaned on Deng when the two were together with the Chicago Bulls.
Wherever he goes, Deng will provide leadership and a steady veteran presence.
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