The Los Angeles Lakers announced they have picked up team options on the contracts for Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma for the 2019-20 season on Thursday. The move might have been a no-brainer for the Lakers, but that doesn’t change how significant it was for the team’s future.
On almost any other team in the NBA, picking up the contracts for second and third-year players wouldn’t be such a huge deal, especially with late first-rounders like Hart and Kuzma, but the front office did such a sensational job of drafting players that are ready to contribute now that their contracts are already bargains.