After the 7.8M the Lakers are offering, Lonnie Walker's decision about his future

The Los Angeles Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham didn't have it easy, and sometimes he could have made better decisions regarding his team rotations, and some players paid for it by becoming bench warmers.

One particular case was the SG Lonnie Walker, who started the season as an undisputed starter in Ham's lineups, but after the trade deadline, he had a coming-off-the-bench role as Malik Beasley became the starter.

But both players were pushed in their roles as Austin Reaves became the starter with some surprising outstanding performances making him the third-best player in the team behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Walker became a bench warmer until he saved the season in Game 4 against the Warriors. Then, in his exit interview for the season, Lonnie Walker made it clear he wants to be in a team that gives him a more prominent role; the Purple and Gold aren't that team anymore.

The Lakers are willing to pay Lonnie more than any team, but wor Walker isn't about the money

Financially, Walker's projected contract range works well in the Lakers' favor. They have his non-bird rights, meaning they can offer him a 20% raise on his 2022-23 salary without regard for the salary cap. That puts his maximum potential earnings with the Lakers at approximately $7.8 million. If his market value is around $4-7 million, the Lakers could actually offer him more money than anyone else. However, it's about more than money this offseason for Walker. The fifth-year guard wants to maximize his future earnings, and the best way to do that is to secure a more prominent role, not a larger payday.