The Los Angeles Lakers did what most expected them to do this NBA offseason by trading for Anthony Davis. However, the trade appears to be backfiring somewhat in terms of when it actually will be completed and what that means for free agency.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the deal for Davis will come to fruition on July 6 which causes problems for the Lakers' cap space situation and finding a third star to join the dynamic duo in Los Angeles.
Sources tells @TheAthletic that the Anthony Davis trade is expected to be completed on July 6 and that New Orleans holds control of the timing. As it stands, that would leave Lakers with $23.7 million in cap room – $27.7 mil if AD waives trade kicker.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) June 20, 2019
This is not ideal for the Lakers front office and their plans to create perhaps the most intimidating trio in the NBA. The duo of James and Davis is already a step in the right direction for Los Angeles, but Rob Pelinka and company aspire to take it to another level with a big-name like Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, or Jimmy Butler.
As things often do in the NBA, the situation can change for the Lakers moving forward which could open up that cap space and allow for another big-name player to sign with the team. However, that might be a stretch at this point leaving Los Angeles with $23.7 to 27.7 million to work in order to fill out the rest of the roster around James, Davis, and Kyle Kuzma as the star attractions.
Even if the Lakers can't sign a star this summer, the team is still in excellent standing as they can continue to put talent around their two superstars in an effort to become a serious force to be reckoned with in the Western Conference. There may not be another splashy move for the storied franchise, but the purple and gold can still build a contender with the cap they'll have at their disposal.
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