Why the Lakers are better off trading for players NOW

The Lakers are heading toward a pivotal moment with their roster construction. This iteration of the Lakers is set to look different with Russell Westbrook’s $47.1 million salary set to expire. They are projected to have around $30 million in cap space this summer if they do not add any salaries beyond this season. They will be naturally looking out for upgrades for this season in the trade market but might not get anything done if they plan to keep their cap flexibility open for this summer.

But what if the Lakers forego cap space and instead trade for multiple players under contract and remain over the cap next season? While the allure of cap space is always promising, there are several reasons why they may be better off avoiding that path as long as they intend to compete with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.