Lakers receive disabled player exception for injured Jordan Hill

The NBA granted the Lakers a disabled player exception Wednesday for the injured Jordan Hill.

The exception, which expires March 11, can be used to sign a free agent for $1,781,800 or in trade to acquire a player making up to $1,881,800.

Hill was injured Jan. 6 against the Denver Nuggets and underwent hip surgery Jan. 23. Four days later he was able to visit the team at Staples Center, hobbling on forearm crutches.

The Lakers can use the exception to add a player in the final year of their contract. A free-agent signing would be limited through the remainder of the season.

The exception does not allow the Lakers to add a 16th player; the roster limit of 15 remains intact. Currently, the team has 14 players under contract.

General Manager Mitch Kupchak acknowledged that the team may or may not use the exception, but that it could be used to help lubricate a larger trade.

The Lakers don’t seem to be close to making any sweeping changes, but the disabled player exception, along with their three trade exceptions ($1.4 million, $1.2 million and $544k) have the potential to help make a complicated deal meet the strict rules of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.