RealGM

3 part question so buckle up.

Q1. Can the Lakers sign Darren Collison to their 1.75 mil contract bringing their total number of players to 18 (16 normal contracts and 2 two-ways) momentarily, then immediately (or is there a small buffer period to reconcile?) trade away Cousins in a trade that brings in fewer players than the Lakers send out (i.e. 2+ players out, 1 player in)

(Q1b. As an aside, if not, then is the only way it's possible to go above the roster cap with a hardship exception?)

If not, then...

Q2. Can the Lakers waive a player (i.e. Rondo), to open up a roster spot immediately, execute a Cousins +extra trade, then (seeing as Rondo was originally signed with the vet min, and the Lakers could re-sign him using the vet min exception), reclaim Rondo off waivers (assuming no-one else does) without extra salary burden?

If not, then...

Q3. Would the Lakers be liable for paying out Rondo's current contract (inc. his 2020/21 PO), then paying him another vet min salary on top (thereby in a very roundabout way, paying him more than the original vet min contract they could only offer when they first re-signed Rondo after renouncing his cap) and circumventing the salary cap in a clever way?

I look forward to getting put in my place.

1 Unless you have room on the roster beforehand, you can't add another player. When teams already have full rosters (and most of them do mid-season), then trades with unbalanced players coming or going causes someone to get waived, to clear room for that trade. Or, it kills the deal if a team doesn't want to toss salary in the trash (and perhaps lose a player they'd rather keep).
... But TBH, your question makes no practical sense. If this situation were to arise, why wouldn't the Lakers simply do the trade to open a roster slot, and then sign Collison? There's no real reason for the extra shenigrey with Rondo.
2 Can't claim your own player off waivers.
... If he clears waivers , you can try to re-sign him to a brand new deal (provided there was no "buyout" agreement, ie a discount on the money owed when waived).
3 If a team likes their player who is on a minimum salary deal, he won't get waived unless there is a compelling reason they need a roster spot and have no better alternative, because every other team will get a chance to claim him on that bargain deal.

DBoys wrote:1 Unless you have room on the roster beforehand, you can't add another player. When teams already have full rosters (and most of them do mid-season), then trades with unbalanced players coming or going causes someone to get waived, to clear room for that trade. Or, it kills the deal if a team doesn't want to toss salary in the trash (and perhaps lose a player they'd rather keep).
... But TBH, your question makes no practical sense. If this situation were to arise, why wouldn't the Lakers simply do the trade to open a roster slot, and then sign Collison? There's no real reason for the extra shenigrey with Rondo.

It does if you know the DPE evaporates the moment Cousins is traded. This Collison signing needs to occur before trading Cousins, if only technically and not instantaneously as it would probably be IRL.

DBoys wrote:2 Can't claim your own player off waivers.
... If he clears waivers , you can try to re-sign him to a brand new deal (provided there was no "buyout" agreement, ie a discount on the money owed when waived).

My understanding of this question is due to http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q64

I cannot find any mention that a team cannot claim its own player off waivers. But I digress, my point is more to do with how that vacated roster spot is treated. That is, does the roster spot appear immediately? Or does the player need to clear waivers before the roster spot appears available to be used?

DBoys wrote:3 If a team likes their player who is on a minimum salary deal, he won't get waived unless there is a compelling reason they need a roster spot and have no better alternative, because every other team will get a chance to claim him on that bargain deal.

You are not answering the question.

It's not whether a player liked by a team will be placed on waivers that's the question here.

The question is whether you can waive a player, have his money paid as per normal waivers, then re-sign him on another minimum contract to (effectively) pay him above his previous salary.

"You are not answering the question... The question is whether you can waive a player, have his money paid as per normal waivers, then re-sign him on another minimum contract to (effectively) pay him above his previous salary."

I answered that, but in your eagerness to lecture me (about a convoluted what-if that has no practical benefit to explore), you ignored the answer. So, whatever.

I will say it again, even if you didn't accept it. There's no way the Lakers would waive RR for a reason like this. No way. None. It has no benefit. So exploring all the details and ramifications of such a waiver is silly.

But the answer to your questions again, as simply as possible, are
1 No (1b Yes)
2 No
3 Yes