Los Angeles Lakers are likely preparing for a quiet free agency the limited cap space and the inability to put together a package for Kyrie Irving limiting their options in the free market.
However, they kept two players at minimum deals as they picked the team options of Stanley Johnson and Wenyen Gabriel, per Keith Smith of Spotrac. Both players were expected to remain with the LA franchise due to the cost-friendly deals they have in place.
The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their $1.9M team option for Wenyen Gabriel and their $2.4M team option for Stanley Johnson, a league source tells @spotrac.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 29, 2022
Johnson’s option will pay him a guaranteed salary of $2,351,521. Gabriel’s option is worth $1,878,720, but that salary will remain non-guaranteed until the NBA’s league-wide salary guarantee deadline in January.
Johnson, 26, joined the Lakers on a minimum-salary contract in January after signing a series of 10-day deals with the team. He earned his spot in the tean after averaging 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists.
Gabriel signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in March, then was promoted to the standard roster in April. The 25-year-old averaged 6.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19 appearances.
The Lakers now have six players on guaranteed contracts with Gabriel and Austin Reaves having one year remaining in the current contracts, which are not guaranteed and the LA franchise can waive them if the FO needs more flexibility.
