Lakers Waiting on Free Agents

The Lakers are playing the waiting game with their free agents.  The team has made one-year qualifying offers to Sasha Vujacic ($2.6 million) and Ronny Turiaf ($1 million).  Neither player has accepted the qualifying offer, as both are restricted free agents and are hoping to receive a sizeable offer sheet from another team.  If either player does sign an offer sheet from another team, the Lakers will then have seven days to match the offer, or the player leaves as if he’s unrestricted.  Vujacic is said to be hoping for an offer for the full mid-level exception, which is around six million dollars.  The Lakers reportedly have not offered Vujacic more than five million per year to this point, and it appears he will wait it out to see what other teams do.  Turiaf is expected to command less money but also appears to be hoping for a substantial offer.

The Lakers priority is to re-sign Vujacic, but I can understand how they’d be wary about giving him the full mid-level.  Vujacic shined this season as a spark off the bench, providing instant offense upon entering the game, but he’s only had one good year in the NBA.  Vujacic also performed well in the playoffs and we’ve seen teams offer the mid-level to worse players who stepped up their game in the postseason.  Jerome James anyone?  I wouldn’t rule out the Lakers matching an offer to Vujacic for the entire mid-level, but they won’t offer it to him unless they have to.

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