Luol Deng spent all but 13 minutes of the 2017-18 season riding the warmth of his seat in the Los Angeles Lakers bench, as the organization had decided to prioritize the growth of their young players, nullifying any potential playing time for the Sudanese international.

While it's clear this marriage won't work, given the direction the Lakers have taken, the franchise could take action by trying to rid themselves of Deng's four-year, $72 million contract they erroneously offered in the summer of 2016, with only a day before the waiver deadline hits, according to cap guru Mark Deeks of Give Me Sport.

Deng is set to make $18 million this season and $18.8 million the next, and at 33 years of age without a real glimpse of playing time from last season — his contract is viewed as largely unwanted.

With the trade option completely out of the board, the Lakers could a) waive him, b) buy him out, or c) waive-and-stretch him, which would be the friendliest route to take to put an end to this bulky, regrettable contract in the books.

Option A would involve the Lakers virtually paying Deng every dime he's owed, with the only benefit of freeing up a roster spot. Option B would have the Lakers likely save only some money, paying likely $30 million of his guaranteed $36.8 million owed to him.

Option C is by far what's been the most popular, which basically means honoring the full extent of the contract by making payments on the total amount over a number of years, therefore reducing salary cap liabilities.

Sept. 1 marks the date in which Deng's $18 million for 2018-19 would become guaranteed. If the Lakers act before the deadline, they could stretch his deal to $7.36 million through the next five years, taking nearly $11 million off their salary cap for the next two years — cap space that could prove valuable when chasing after the likes of Kawhi Leonard and other star-caliber max free agents in 2019 like Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, and Jimmy Butler.

Furthermore, it would allow Luol Deng to find a landing spot before he decides to call it a career — the honorable thing to do for someone described as a consummate professional.