Anton Watson Joins a Camp Already Crowded and Already Over…

By the Lakers Nightly Desk · Friday, September 18

Anton Watson checked into camp on a make-good contract, the newest name in a Lakers group already crowded and already expensive. JJ Redick now has twenty players to sort into fifteen roster spots before opening night in five weeks.

Luka Dončić of the Lakers — Luka Dončić. Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Twenty for Fifteen Spots

Watson's deal is an Exhibit 10, according to Dan Woike, the kind of contract built for training camp and the G League rather than a guaranteed job. Lakers Nation flagged the math this week: with twenty players under contract, camp ends in cuts, not just competition. Watson, 25, is a depth forward, one of several fringe names alongside Chris Manon, AK Okereke, Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero fighting for whatever room camp leaves open.

Already Over the Line

Los Angeles carries $201.3 million in salary, above the $200.4 million tax line before a single game tips off. Doncic accounts for $49.8 million of that number, Austin Reaves $41.2 million, Walker Kessler $30.2 million and Quentin Grimes $14 million. Every addition, even a camp flier like Watson, lands on books already stretched thin.

Five Weeks to Kickoff

The preseason opens October 5 at Sacramento, with a trip to Golden State and two home dates against the Kings and Warriors before the schedule turns real. The regular season begins October 21, hosting Golden State on ESPN. What Watson shows across those four exhibition games decides whether his Exhibit 10 turns into a full roster spot.

Did the Lakers sign Anton Watson?

Yes. Los Angeles added him on September 18, 2026, on an Exhibit 10 contract, according to Dan Woike.

Are the Lakers over the luxury tax this season?

Their payroll is $201.3 million, above the $200.4 million tax line, before the October 21 opener against Golden State.

By the Lakers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.