Who’s the highest-paid player in Los Angeles, and how big is their payroll? Take a look at the Lakers contracts on the books this season.
The Los Angeles Lakers are once again a force in the West, despite top-heavy contracts that make the club depend heavily on LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As the 2022-23 regular season progressed, their passionate fanbase grew hopeful for a successful postseason run, and so far, they’ve got it.
Even though the Lakers have performed well, they face a significant challenge in strengthening their roster for next season because of the limited cap space. James’ and Davis’s hefty contracts have left LA with minimal options for free-agent signings or key trades to grow even stronger.
The Lakers are already contenders with James and Davis, plus critical supporting players. Austin Reaves has shown promise, but keeping him may be costly. The team needs to sign young, versatile players who can shoot, defend, and play off the ball while LeBron wills the team to succeed.
Fortunately, the Lakers can match any incoming offers for Reaves as a restricted free agent, so if they believe he is too valuable to let go, they can potentially keep him around. Contrast that with 2021 when they had to let a critical rotational piece in Alex Caruso go to the Chicago Bulls. The team felt his departure immediately.
While the Lakers’ lack of cap space is a concern, it is clear that the team is building something special. James and Davis have proven their abilities to make deep playoff runs, and their leadership will be critical in guiding the Lakers through the postseason. If the team can retain key rotational pieces like Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and D’Angelo Russell, they will have a solid foundation to build upon.
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Lakers Contracts & Salaries 2022-23
All Lakers’ salary figures are via Spotrac and do not include players on two-way or 10-day contracts.
1. PF LeBron James: $44,474,988
- Contract: 2 years, $97,133,373
- Click here for Boardroom’s deep dive on LeBron’s massive earnings off the court.
2. C Anthony Davis: $37,980,720
- Contract: 5 years, $189,903,600
3. PG D’Angelo Russell: $31,377,750
- Contract: 4 years, $117,325,500
- Click here for Boardroom’s deep dive on D’lo’s return to the Lakers.
4. SG Malik Beasley: $10,490,000
- Contract: 4 years, $60,000,000
5. C Mohamed Bamba: $10,300,000
- Contract: 2 years, $20,600,000
6. SG Lonnie Walker IV: $6,479,000
- Contract: 1 year, $6,479,000
7. PF Rui Hachimura: $6,263,188
- Contract: 4 years, $20,341,348
8. PF Jarred Vanderbilt: $4,320,000
- Contract: 3 years, $13,122,000
9. PF Wenyen Gabriel: $1,878,720
- Contract: 2 years, $1,908,534
10. PG Dennis Schröder: $2,641,682
- Contract: 1 year, $2,641,682
11. SG Troy Brown Jr: $1,968,175
- Contract: 1 year, $1,968,175
12. SG Austin Reaves: $1,563,518
- Contract: 2 years, $2,488,776
- Click here for Boardroom’s exclusive interview with Austin Reaves.
13. SG Max Christie: $1,017,781
- Contract: 2 years, $2,737,645
14. PG Shaquille Harrison: $12,260
- Contract: 2 years, $2,425,564
15. C Tristan Thompson: $16,700
- Contract: 1 year, $16,700
Lakers Salary Cap 2022-23: Inside the Numbers
All dollar figures and cap estimates via Spotrac as of May 1.
- Active contracts: $164,962,692
- Dead money: $2,450,094
- Total salary cap usage: $180,067,292
- Estimated 2022-23 luxury tax bill: $35,935,220
- Salary on the books for 2023-24: $222,098,953
Click here for Boardroom’s full overview of the NBA’s salary cap rules for the 2022-23 season.
