The Lakers are defending champions and are undeniably among the big favorites to seek a back-to-back. However, everything is not necessarily rosy outside the field: the management of Purple & Gold is still suffering the repercussions of a bad contract signed to one of their former players. A word of advice: sit well!
Getting an NBA player to sign a contract can sometimes turn out to be a move with disastrous consequences for the flexibility of a franchise. We remember, for example, the contract ball of Chandler Parsons signed by Memphis in 2016 which guaranteed him $ 95 million over 4 years.
Such a choice has completely handicapped the franchise and forced the management to precipitate the reconstruction by trading Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Other less spectacular examples than this one are not lacking, and few teams are immune to bad choices, not even the Angelinos! Rob Pelinka must therefore curse every day a contract that weighs on the Lakers for several years:
Crazy but true: Luol Deng is the 6th highest paid player on the Lakers this season ???? pic.twitter.com/e4FK5XAK6C
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) January 20, 2021
It’s crazy and yet: Luol Deng is the sixth highest paid player of the Lakers this season ????
It does sound crazy, and yet. Luol Deng signed a 4-year, $ 72 million contract in 2016. After several unsuccessful negotiations, management ended up cutting it and spreading its contract over several years. The player will thus receive 5 million dollars this season… as well as the following year! It is not until 2022 that the Lakers will be rid of their mistake.
Since retiring, Deng must thank the Los Angeles management every morning, which will continue to water him for another good year. In the current workforce, only LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Dennis Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell get more money.
Conversely, Deng receives more money than Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Marc Gasol or Markieff Morris. Pretty crazy when you think about it, but it’s true …
Spent 2 years at the Lakers between 2016 and 2018 for largely forgettable performances, Luol Deng continues to feel quietly. A hell of a deal …
