Today, the Washington Wizards have officially announced that they have reached a buyout agreement with guard Marcus Smart. Subsequently, the Lakers announced that they have waived Milton and Goodwin.

Milton came to the Lakers in a trade with the Nets at the end of last year, and after joining, he played 30 games, averaging 11.5 minutes, scoring 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, with a three-point shooting percentage of 29.4%.

Goodwin played 29 games last season, starting from a two-way contract to a standard contract, averaging 18.7 minutes, scoring 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals, with a three-point shooting percentage of 38.2%. He became an indispensable energy player off the Lakers' bench.

According to ClutchPoints reporter Brett Siegel, in the past 24 hours, the Lakers have negotiated with multiple teams in an attempt to free up some salary space without sacrificing important draft assets, hoping to retain Goodwin. Sources indicate that the trade discussions did not make substantial progress, leading to the decision to let Goodwin go.

The Lakers waived Milton and Goodwin to utilize the mid-level exception to acquire Smart. After Smart joins the Lakers, their total salary is about $1 million away from the hard cap, and they still have one veteran minimum salary available. Doncic will be eligible for an extension starting August 2, and how to handle Kleber's contract is also worth noting.

Currently, the Lakers' roster includes 14 players with guaranteed contracts, which are:

PG: Doncic, Vincent, Bronny
SG: Reeves, Smart, Knockett
SF: Hachimura, Lallavia, Thiero
PF: James, Vanderbilt
C: Ayton, Hayes, Kleber

NBA insider Ary noted that an interesting aspect of the Lakers' offseason is their interest in free agent guard Melton. If they can free up salary space and gain roster flexibility, they might pursue Melton, but Smart's presence could impact the Lakers' interest.

NBA reporters Dan Woike and Brett Siegel have previously reported that throughout the offseason, Melton has been a key figure linked with the Lakers, and there are widespread expectations that the Lakers could sign him from the free-agent market.

Melton is 27 years old and stands 1.88 meters tall. Due to injuries, he only played 6 games last season, averaging 20.2 minutes, scoring 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals, with a shooting percentage of 40.7% and a three-point percentage of 37.1%.

Currently, there is a rumor circulating that the Lakers are working on a "consolidation" trade, which is expected to involve Knockett and Kleber.

In the recently concluded Summer League, Knockett played 6 games, averaging 27.6 minutes, scoring 11.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 steals, with a shooting percentage of 32.1% and a three-point percentage of 23.7%.

The Athletic reporter Tony Jones commented on Knockett: "Knockett plays too selfishly; once he decides to shoot, he doesn't see anyone else."

Sports Analyst wrote: "Who would have thought that in 2025, Bronny would be outperforming Knockett? I believe that's the key; the Lakers wanted to trade Knockett, they didn't want him, but he was forced to return. This has affected his mindset. Meanwhile, LeBron's support as a father and teammate has been significant for Bronny."

The Lakers currently have only one first-round draft asset (either 2031 or 2032) and one second-round pick, along with five swap rights (2026, 2028, 2030, 2031, and 2032).

The operational difficulty is considerable; let's see if there will be any eye-catching trades in the upcoming offseason. If not, the Lakers will enter the new season with the last roster spot vacant, maintaining flexibility.