Jordan Hill is out for the year, sadly. He’ll be out at least 6 months, per Mark Medina.

The NBA offers a “disabled-player exception” to teams who take an injury hit like the Lakers have. If a player is out for a prolonged amount of time, teams can make a request to the league offices for an exception that is relative to the injured player’s salary. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers applied for the exception before Tuesday’s deadline:

The Lakers sent a request to the NBA for a disabled-player exception for Jordan Hill, General Manager Mitch Kupchak said.

If the league granted the Lakers’ request, the team would gain an additional $1.78 million in spending power, half of Hill’s contract this season. Hill will undergo season-ending surgery because of a hip injury.

In this case, if granted, the Lakers will receive $1.78 million to spend on a free agent. They could also use it in a trade, as long as the player they’re trading for is an expiring contract.

However, ESPN reports that the Lakers may not even use the exception: Kupchak told reporters that there’s “no downside” to acquiring the exception, so it’s worth applying for it just in case.