There isn’t a lot the Los Angeles Lakers can do this offseason to make their team more competitive, but they’re still trying, adding Chris Kaman via free agency, while in a more financially-driven move, use the Amnesty clause on Metta World Peace, probably a year too late.

And in a very slow news day when it comes to new beginnings, Marreese Speights joins the Golden State Warriors, while Randy Foye joins the Denver Nuggets in a three-team trade that also involved the Golden State Warriors & the Utah Jazz.

Lakers – Kaman and MWP

As reported, the Lakers and Chris Kaman didn’t need too long to get things done. They signed the 31-year old center on a one-year deal through the mini Mid-Level Exception for $3.2 million next season, after one year of playing for the Mavs, averaging 10.5 points per game but suffering from a big drop in minutes because of his defensive issues

The more interesting change the Lakers made was finally using their Amnesty Clause, mostly to save them some luxury tax money, letting go of Metta World Peace and his $7.7 million salary, which will probably end up saving the Lakers around $12.3 million.

The match (from PBT): For estimating purposes, let’s say the Lakers’ payroll is equal to the luxury-tax line without World Peace’s $7,727,280 contract. That would mean his entire salary, and only his salary, would be taxed. The first $5 million would be taxed at $1.50 per dollar – totaling $7..5 million. The other $2,727,280 would be taxed at $1.75 per dollar – totaling $4,772,740. In sum, by removing World Peace’s contract from their books, the Lakers would reduce their tax burden by $12,272,740 next season.

Marreese Speights Joins the Warriors

Golden State keep trying to add pieces to their bench after losing Jack and Landry, signing Marreese Speights, a power forward often used as a center, who ended up getting traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Cleveland Cavaliers at the end of last season. Speights averaged 10.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in the final 39 games with the Cavs, and signed a three-year deal, with a team option on the third, probably for around $9 million.

Randy Foye Joins the Nuggets, Expanding the Trade

Andre Iguodala joins the Warriors, who send Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins and more draft picks to the Utah Jazz, while Randy Foye and a three-year, $9 million deal gets to join the Denver Nuggets in a trade that involves more second-round draft picks. Foye averaged 10.8 points per game last season for the Jazz.