NBA Rumors: Lakers Future Additions May Only Come From Bought Out Players

The Los Angeles Lakers are open to any form of an upgrade but the road ahead looks tricky. With some NBA rulings in play, the only recourse general manager Rob Pelinka may end up with is players who get bought out.

Though they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the lead, the fact remains that the Lakers need more scorers and wing defenders. The need essentially crops up when James and/or Davis are out resting or nursing injuries. It is one of the reasons why the Lakers dealt with a four-game skid.

In a previous report, it was mentioned that either Kyle Kuzma or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be traded. Kuzma should get his share of suitors but KCP is a different story. Caldwell-Pope needs to approve a trade before any deal can progress.

The Lakers do have options this coming summer. They can trade their first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and sign free agents using an exception. Take note that this depends on whether Davis sticks around. The status of Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee could also dictate the team's future plans, Lakers Nation reported. All three can exercise their player options and play elsewhere. If they are kept, the Lakers could use the Bird Rights to exceed the salary cap.

The salary budget is the obvious restriction that the Lakers will need to face. They may have difficulty adding top-tier players next season - meaning they may end up settling for players who are bought out. Normally, players who fall under this category are the ones on expiring deals or NBA veterans. The scenario, in this case, would mean a short-term tenure in Hollywood for anyone the Lakers come to terms with.

When buyouts come to mind, the names of Andre Iguodala, Marcus Morris, Jeff Teague, and Allen Crabbe come to mind. Iguodala and Morris have been frequently mentioned in the NBA trade rumor mill as potential targets. However, this can only go down after the Feb. 6 deadline.

Hence, the limitations the Lakers face means they will need to play the waiting game and be patient. Buyouts are the last recourse for some NBA teams and players. For Los Angeles, the only worry here is that other teams are also waiting in the wings. This means the Lakers need to be on their feet and be alert on developments once the NBA trade deadline nears.