and with a Lakers team that can win a championship. After all, we’ve already seen what playing alongside James can do to boost a player’s value, and if they have to take a short, below-market-value deal somewhere, it might as well be in a sunny place like L.A. There will be bargains out there and that makes the Lakers an intriguing option for any number of players. When the money dries up, those left standing will have to consider taking a short-term deal that will allow them to get back into the market quickly in the hopes future seasons create a more favorable environment. What that all adds up to is a 2020 NBA free agency environment that simply won’t have enough money available for every player to get the contract they deserve. Unfortunately for them, only a handful of teams will have cap room available, and some will prefer to save it for next offseason, with the 2021 free agent class headlined by Giannis Antetkounmpo but also potentially including the likes of Rudy Gobert, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Rudy Gobert, among others. There are, however, a number of role players who can help a team that already has a solid core, like say one built around James and Davis. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all teams will be going on a spending spree whenever free agency opens, particularly with no true superstar level talent available now that Anthony Davis is rumored to be sticking with the Lakers. To avoid that nightmare, most believe that the cap will be artificially propped up at the same level as last season, which was $109 million. With no fans in arenas since March, the resulting salary cap plunge would leave players with offers well below market value as teams that weren’t expecting to be over the cap suddenly found themselves well over. Neither side wants to see the salary cap drastically drop, which it would if the league stuck with the old formula based on basketball related income (BRI). The collective bargaining agreement is simply not capable of navigating these unique challenges, so the NBA and NBPA have to negotiate solutions the will work for all. The league’s salary cap currently sits in limbo along with a number of other things, like the start of free agency, the lifting of the transaction moratorium, and even the start date for next season. And here’s the scary part for the rest of the NBA: the Lakers might be even better in the 2020-21 season. Now, while we wait for the ability to safely schedule a championship parade, the organization has to turn their attention to next season.
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