The Los Angeles Lakers have been busy getting their toes wet on the 2018 NBA Free Agency market but they have plenty of in-house decisions to make as well.
One of those decisions seems to have been made on Tuesday as according to Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania, the Lakers have signed rookie Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to a three-year deal:
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers and No. 47 overall pick Svi Mykhailiuk are finalizing a three-year, $4.6M rookie deal. Deal includes team option.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2018
Mykhailiuk was selected with the 47th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and has been lighting up the Las Vegas Summer League, convincing many that he is ready to be incorporated into a Lakers team looking to compete for the playoffs right away.
The terms of Mykhailiuk’s contract are interesting given that it’s for three years and significant money. For comparison’s sake, the Lakers gave a two-year, $1.35 million contract to Jordan Clarkson when he was first drafted. Mykhailiuk’s contract is similar, however, to Ivica Zubac’s rookie deal which turned into a three-year $3.9 million deal when the center made it past his guarantee date this offseason.
Mykhailiuk’s contract will count against the cap this season with the Lakers having about $5.6 million in space to use before he is inked. Fellow rookies Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga as well as two-way undrafted free agent Malik Newman have already been signed to their respective first NBA contracts.
