Lakers make no moves after trade deadline passes

LA Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak talks to reporters about the upcoming 2013-14 season from their training facility in El Segundo. (Wed. Sept. 25, 2013. Photo by Brad Graverson/The Daily Breeze

LA Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak talks to reporters about the upcoming 2013-14 season from their training facility in El Segundo. (Wed. Sept. 25, 2013. Photo by Brad Graverson/The Daily Breeze

The Lakers (13-40) have plenty of holes in their roster, but the team declined to address any of them leading into Thursday’s trade deadline.

The Lakers showed a “ton” of interest Phoenix guard Goran Dragic before he was eventually traded to the Miami Heat. But the Lakers “just didn’t have assets,” according to an NBA source familiar with the discussions. The Lakers also wanted to ensure that they both maintain their cap space for the free agency sweepstakes in July as well as their draft picks.

Only Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, Nick Young and Ryan Kelly have guaranteed contracts for the 2015-16 season, leaving the Lakers with both plenty of money and roster spaces. But one of those spots will stay reserved for whoever the Lakers select in the middle of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, a draft pick they will receive from Houston as part of the Jeremy Lin trade. The Lakers could also avoid trading their first-round pick to Phoenix as part of the Steve Nash trade in if it falls within the top five during the NBA Draft lottery on May 19.

The Lakers are interested in Dragic, but they did not want to give up any of their young assets that also included rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson for two reasons. They want to rebuild with young talent. Dragic will also become an unrestricted free agent this summer after he opts out of his $7.5 million player option. Dragic has said publicly, including in an interview last month with Los Angeles Newspaper Group, that he considers the Lakers one of the teams he will consider as a free agent. A person familiar with Dragic’s thinking said he “loves the opportunity” to join the Lakers and sees them as a “perfect fit.” But the Heat will have the ability to grant him a five-year deal worth up to $100 million, while other teams can offer up to a four-year deal worth $80 million.

Meanwhile, the Lakers do not have many assets beyond their draft picks and rookies.

Jordan Hill has posted career-highs in points (12.3), rebounds (8) and minutes played (28) and any trading partner can waive his $9 million team option for next season. But he has shown inconsistency with his energy. Nick Young is in the first year of a four-year, $21.5 million deal, but he has struggled with his shooting accuracy. Jeremy Lin has averaged only 10.2 points on 42.6-percent shooting, 4.6 assists and 2.7 turnovers in 25.5 minutes per game. His expiring $14.9 million seems burdensome, though $8.4 million of his salary goes against the cap.

The Lakers’ roster features plenty of players that will become unrestricted free agents next season (Lin, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Price) and players with team options (Hill, Clarkson, Robert Sacre, Tarik Black). Lakers forward Ed Davis also has a player option, but plans to opt out of that $1.2 million deal to secure a more lucrative and long-term contract with the Lakers.

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com