Report: Lakers Can’t Pursue Gary Trent Jr. Until They Shed Salary

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Lakers can’t pursue Gary Trent Jr. until they shed salary. 

LeBron James took $3 million less in his new deal to keep the Lakers under the second apron, but they still need to make some trades to create room for Trent Jr. 

“One source close to the process cautioned this week that the Lakers, until they can move farther away from the second luxury tax apron, can’t even make a run at Trent … no matter how available he appears to be,” Stein reported. “The Lakers, remember, are only marginally distanced from the second apron after LeBron James signed a new two-year deal that was less than $3 million shy of the $104 million maximum he could have received.

“The Lakers are known to be exploring pathways to shed some additional salary via trades to create sufficient wiggle room needed under the second apron to make use of their $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. Yet even those kinds of moves likely require some form of second-round draft capital attached and taking in a player via sign-and-trade, as a first apron team, is not permitted under the league’s new rules.”

Trent Jr. appeared in 71 games for the Toronto Raptors in 2023-24. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.1 blocks while shooting 42.6% from the field, 39.3% from beyond the arc and 77.1% from the free-throw line. 

A Duke product, Trent Jr. has career averages of 14.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocks with the Portland Trail Blazers and Raptors. He was the 37th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. 

Trent Jr. will not re-sign with the Raptors. He also won’t join the Denver Nuggets. 

The Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs in five games. Denver also beat Los Angeles in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. 

Former NBA guard JJ Redick is the new coach of the Lakers. He replaced Darvin Ham.