Lakers News: Examining LA's Salary Cap Situation After Markieff Morris' Contract

The Los Angeles Lakers continued fortifying their roster Monday, with Markieff Morris announcing his intention to return for the 2020-21 season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Morris will make the minimum on a one-year contract. Morris received significant attention from the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason as well, with the team hoping to pair him and his twin, Marcus, who signed a four-year deal.

In the end, a return to the Lakers won out—continuing a trend that's been prevalent throughout the offseason. The Clippers lost Montrezl Harrell to the Lakers and also saw Marc Gasol choose the defending champs after their expression of interest.

The Harrell contract (along with the one-year, $3.6 million deal given to Wesley Matthews) triggered a hard cap for the Lakers that prevents them from entering the luxury tax this season. They are currently $4.5 million below the tax apron with 12 players on their roster, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. (This figure factors in Anthony Davis signing a contract that starts at his maximum.)

With so little maneuverability under the apron and roster spots to fill, the Lakers are essentially stuck offering two more minimum contracts to fill out the remainder of their roster.

The good news: Their current roster is essentially set. The Lakers go two deep at essentially every position after the Morris signing, making them both more talented and deeper than last year's roster.

That should allow some flexibility with the type of moves they make the remainder of the roster. It seems like a decent bet they will re-sign Jared Dudley, a beloved locker-room figure, using one of the minimum contract slots.

The team could also take a swing at bringing back DeMarcus Cousins, who signed a one-year contract with the Lakers last offseason before suffering a torn ACL. A potential Cousins reunion may be out of the question with Gasol in the fold. It seems more likely that Boogie will want to find a home where he could have guaranteed playing time to rejuvenate interest in him after injuries derailed his career.

J.R. Smith or Dion Waiters returning on a minimum contract is also a potential option.