Report: Lakers Working to Create Another Max Salary Slot

The Lakers are reportedly working to expand the Anthony Davis swap in order to create another maximum salary slot.

LeBron James and teammate Kyle Kuzma would be the only two players remaining on the roster if Los Angeles is able to convince teams to absorb three unwanted contracts.

The Purple and Gold are said to be hunting second-round picks in Thursday’s NBA draft.

Per ESPN:

The Los Angeles Lakers are scrambling to reshape the parameters of the Anthony Davis trade with New Orleans and create the capacity for $32 million-plus in salary-cap space when the free-agent moratorium ends on July 6, league sources told ESPN.

The Lakers were engaging additional teams on Tuesday to take on the contracts of three of the remaining five players on the team’s roster — Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones — league sources said. Kyle Kuzma and LeBron James are the only other two Lakers remaining on the team’s end-of-season roster.

If Davis doesn’t waive his $4.1 million trade bonus, the Lakers-Pelicans trade wouldn’t be allowed even if Los Angeles finds a third team for the players not included in the original deal with New Orleans.

The Lakers would have to wait until July 30 to have the maximum cap space — unless they were willing to incentivize New Orleans to agree to delay the completion of the trade.

Related Report: Lakers to Pursue Kawhi Leonard in Free Agency