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When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Talen Horton-Tucker with the No.46 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, they had the option of signing him for a standard four-year rookie contract, which would have allowed them to sign to new Horton-Tucker. by using all of his Bird rights during the fourth year of his contract or at the end of his contract.
However, since the Lakers were in a win-now mode, they used the precious cap they had in 2019 to sign veteran players; notably DeMarcus Cousins and Quinn Cook, who signed for more than the veteran’s minimum. As a result, they could only offer Horton-Tucker a two-year contract under the cap.
Knowing what they know now – both about Cousins and Horton-Tucker – it’s safe to assume the Lakers would come back and give Horton-Tucker this third year if they could, but sadly they can’t. not. Instead, the Lakers will try to negotiate a new contract with Horton-Tucker this summer, when the 20-year-old is expected to hit restricted free agency.
There will almost certainly be a market for Horton-Tucker, who is in the midst of a breakout season with the Lakers. Insiders are already saying it could be onerous. However, the chances of Horton-Tucker leaving Los Angeles are slim
The Lakers will have the early bird rights to Horton-Tucker, meaning they can offer him up to 175% of his previous salary or 105% of the previous season’s average salary, with the latter being higher in the case of Horton-Tucker. It is also superior to the mid-level non-taxpayer exception, which is the maximum another team can offer Horton-Tucker in their first year due to the ‘Gilbert Arenas provision’ that has been added. to the NBA’s CBA in 2005.
Eric Pincus has explained a lot about it in his excellent video below:
In the second year of Horton-Tucker’s notional new contract, the Lakers can offer him a standard 5% raise. So, based on current salary cap projections, Horton-Tucker would earn around $ 20 million in total in the first two years of his contract. Even though Horton-Tucker’s production is in full swing after this season, it’s still decent value.
The third year of Horton-Tucker’s contract is one where things may get complicated for Los Angeles. In Year 3, any team with a space cap can offer Horton-Tucker a player’s maximum salary with their experience, which is 25% of the salary cap. The same goes for the fourth year, only with an increase of 4.5%.
That means Horton-Tucker could sign an offer sheet worth around $ 82 million over a four-year period. As unlikely as it may be, it’s still a possibility worth considering.
Where the Lakers still have an advantage is how that salary counts on their books compared to other teams. If Horton-Tucker were to sign that offer sheet with another team, that contract’s average annual salary – around $ 20 million – would count towards that team’s cap for the duration of the contract. So not only should the team have a cap of $ 20 million this summer, but they should agree to have $ 20 million on their books for the next three summers.
Comparatively, the Lakers would have the option of having a cap of $ 20 million over four years or they could make the contract count as written, the latter being more likely due to the salary they have already incurred. . the 2022-23 season. They also have the luxury of matching all the signs on the Horton-Tucker offer sheet.
Will Horton-Tucker receive a partial maximum offer sheet? Probably not, but that’s not the point. The point is, the Lakers are, by design, in a better position to hold back Horton-Tucker than another team is to fire him, so if he’s in a different uniform next season, it won’t be because that they couldn’t do it. make a competitive offer.
Assuming both parties are interested in a reunion, expect a deal to be struck fairly quickly this summer when free agency shifts into high gear.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast itunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.
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