Los Angeles Lakers: Three massive mistakes to avoid this offseason

By Jason Reed | Mar 26, 2019

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 10: Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Earvin "Magic" Johnson arrives at the Lakers' preseason game against the Golden State Warriors at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 123-113. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

2. Signing a decent second star to max money

While we are talking about the Bucks, let’s talk a bit about Khris Middleton, who has already been named as a potential free agent target for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Middleton has had a great year this season and even earned himself a spot on the Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s NBA All-Star team. Overall for the season, Middleton is averaging 17.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.

He has blossomed into the perfect second star for the Bucks and is doing so in his contract year. Typically, NBA teams are prone to overpay when a player is coming off of a promising year like the one that Middleton is having.

The Los Angeles Lakers have to avoid falling into this trap at all costs as it would be a massive waste of that max salary space. Middleton is not enough to magically make the Lakers a title contender and he would not be worth the kind of money the Lakers would give him.

The front office might try and spend just to save face and show the fanbase that they can land another marquee free agent. However, signing someone like Middleton, or Tobias Harris to give another example, to max money would be extremely underwhelming.

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