LA Lakers 2013 NBA Free Agency Primer: What You Need to Know

Free agency has been a disappointment thus far for the Los Angeles Lakers.

As you may have heard, Earl Clark bolted big-market L.A. for the greener pastures of the small-market Cleveland Cavaliers. Are you happy now, Dan Gilbert?

Oh, and incumbent center Dwight Howard finally decided to take his talents to South Texas and join the Houston Rockets.

The most disappointing aspect of Howard’s departure is that it doesn’t even provide the Lakers with enough cap relief to go after impact free agents.

Even without Howard’s $20 million-plus on the books, L.A. is over the cap. As a matter of fact, they remain deep into luxury-tax territory. They only have the taxpayer’s mid-level exception (valued at about $3.2 million this season) and veteran’s minimum contracts to offer.

So, where do the Lakers go from here? Let’s break it down, beginning with the team’s needs and finishing up with a quick look at potential free-agent targets.

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