Three free agents who previously played for the Heat have received $115 million from the Lakers.
More than $115 million has been paid to former Miami Heat players by Jeanie Buss and the Los Angeles Lakers. Three distinct former Heat players were signed to massive contracts by the Purple and Gold in the last eight years alone, and all three of them ended up being complete failures.
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57 games, 4 years, $72 million, Luol Deng (2016-2018)
Kendrick Nunn: ten years, forty-nine games, $10 million (2022–2023)
Gabe Vincent (2023–2024) – $33 million, 10 years, 5 games
While the Lakers have received a lot of plaudits during the Jeanie Buss era, the legendary club governor hasn’t always had an easy ride. She led the way in some dubious decision-making just a few years ago, when the Lakers were at their worst, and there are plenty of statistics to demonstrate just how terrible things truly went.
The franchise’s decision-making, which has led to some of the worst contracts in NBA history, has arguably been the worst problem of all. The squad had no direction or vision for the future until LeBron James returned in 2018. They also had no idea how they intended to develop the team. Ultimately, they damaged their own prospects by giving players like Nick Young and Timofey Mozgov costly, multi-year contracts.
The Lakers are drawn to former Heat players in particular for some reason, and Gabe Vincent is their most recent addition from the region. However, the Lakers could have finally learned their lesson to reject any offer from Miami after missing the most of this season.
The Three Former Heat Players Were All Let Down Regarding Lakers
Teams frequently believe they will be able to sustain their level of performance outside of the Miami Heat because of the team’s unique ability to bring out the best in its players. The Lakers have lost a significant amount of money as a result of falling for this scam several times in the past.
Luol Deng’s four-year, $72 million contract was a nightmare for the Lakers that followed them for years. It was a contender for one of the worst contracts ever. A few months after having a strong season (averaging 12.3 points per game) with the Heat in 2015–16, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchack made him an offer of maximum money.
Deng only managed 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a game on 38% shooting with the Lakers. Before leaving the Lakers and going out of the rotation, he only appeared in 57 games overall.
Years later, in an attempt to add a potential game-changer to the backcourt, the franchise signed former Heat player Kendrick Nunn. Instead, throughout his brief one-year tenure, he hardly had any effect at all. Nunn averaged just 6.7 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game on 40% shooting during his less than half-a-season with the Lakers.
Gabe Vincent is the Lakers’ most recent unsuccessful signing of the season; after just five games, he has the lowest point and assist totals of any player. The Lakers seem unable to escape terrible contracts for some reason, and just as they are about to break free from one, they find themselves in another. It begs the question of who the next Heat star may be to benefit financially from the Purple and Gold.