More than 24 hours into free agency, with LeBron James willing to accept less than the maximum contract if the Lakers find a good use for their midlevel exception, the franchise has yet to make any notable moves.
While the Lakers agreed to re-sign Max Christie before to the start of free agency,
when teams can negotiate with players from other teams, the Lakers' roster crunch and salary-cap issue have prevented them from making any trades.
The Lakers' chase of Klay Thompson ended on Monday, when the four-time NBA champion agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
And, while some sources with inside information on the Lakers' conversations with Thompson believe he was given longer years and more money
the team would have needed to complete a sign-and-trade deal to make it happen.
If not, the Lakers could only have offered him the whole midlevel exception, which could have been for four years and a starting salary of $12.8 million if James' next contract with the Lakers permits them to use it.
If the Lakers are unable to make any significant moves with that exception, James is anticipated to sign for the maximum.