Carlos Boozer is going to be a Los Angeles Laker next season — they won the bidding process for him.
Although Lakers’ fans are not going to use the word “won.” The words they will use cannot be published here, being a family-friendly blog and all.
When the Bulls amnestied Boozer (to open up cap space to sign former Laker and vastly superior player Pau Gasol) it opened up a blind bid process for Boozer — teams under the salary cap could put in a bid for his services and take on that part of his contract (the Lakers bid $3.25 million and they pay $3.25 million while the Bulls cover the remaining $13.6 million, it just doesn’t count against their cap). Highest bid wins, nobody knows what the other teams were bidding.
The Lakers won that, something first reported by Marc Stein of ESPN and quickly confirmed by multiple other reporters.
ESPN has learned that the Los Angeles Lakers have won the amnesty auction with the highest bid for Boozer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 17, 2014
ESPN sources say that Lakers won Carlos Boozer auction with a high bid of $3.25 million
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 17, 2014
That’s more than I’d have bid, but not wildly unreasonable.
The Lakers now have Boozer, rookie Julius Randle and another solid big in Ed Davis to play the four.
Boozer averaged 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds a game last season. His game has deteriorated in recent years, last season he wasn’t efficient (.489 true shooting percentage) nor does he play much defense. That said, he’s more solid than his critics give him credit for — he’s still okay — and he’ll make a decent backup big man for what the Lakers are paying.
He’ll help the Lakers win more now as opposed to bringing in a big man to develop for the future. That said he’s not going to help them win much.
We’d try to guess what the Lakers’ coach would do with Boozer, but they still don’t have one.