Lakers still waiting on disabled player exceptions for Nash, Randle

With Steve Nash and Julius Randle both out for the season, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves operating with a pretty thin roster, though, one that would make the Oklahoma City Thunder jealous.

Part of the reason is that the team still hasn't received confirmation from the NBA that it'll be granted disabled player exceptions for Nash and Randle. The Lakers are expected to be granted the exceptions eventually, but there's generally a long wait due to the medical paperwork involved.

A disabled player exception allows a team that's over the cap to replace a player who is out for the season. The exception allows the team to sign a free agent at a salary worth up to 50 percent of the disabled player's salary, or the $5.31-million mid-level exception, whichever is less. That team can also trade for a player in the final year of his contract with a salary up to either of those figures, plus $100,000.

The Lakers would have until March 10 to use the exceptions, if granted. The exceptions created would be worth $4.85 million (Nash) and $1.5 million (Randle) and, more importantly, would allow L.A. to add players beyond the 13 theoretically useful bodies it has available.