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Lakers re-signing Talen Horton-Tucker ($32M), signing Kendrick Nunn ($10M)

Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn in Miami Heat v Los Angeles Lakers

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Talen Horton-Tucker #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball against the Miami Heat on February 20, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)

NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers had been loading up on minimum salaries: Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk, Kent Bazemore, Trevor Ariza, Wayne Ellington and Dwight Howard.

Now, Los Angeles will spend bigger – on restricted free agent Talen Horton-Tucker and newly unrestricted free agent Kendrick Nunn.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:

Shams Charania of The Athletic:

I’m surprised Horton-Tucker didn’t quite get the full Early Bird Exception over three years ($33,645,780). The Lakers clearly value him.

The Heat pulled Nunn’s $4,736,102 qualifying offer. Hard-capped from the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade, Miami preferred to use its limited additional spending power on Duncan Robinson and P.J. Tucker (mid-level exception).

Now, Nunn will get most of the taxpayer mid-level exception in Los Angeles. He’s a talented scorer who can fit onto a good defense.

Horton-Tucker and Nunn are intriguing backcourt options on a Lakers team that has suddenly built major depth (though lacks high-end role players around LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook).