After a series of mid-season trades, the Los Angeles Lakers became almost a completely different team. Somehow, despite a 2-10 start early on, the Lakeshow managed to make a run to the Western Conference Finals where they were defeated by the Denver Nuggets.
This summer, nobody was sure what to expect from the Lakers given how the season played out but the latest report from team insider Jovan Buha suggests they are keen on running things back. When free agency begins later this week, their first call will be to young point guard D’Angelo Russell.
“When league insiders speak about next year’s team, D’Angelo Russell is usually included,” wrote Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike. “He’ll hit unrestricted free agency after a disappointing conference final, but his value to the Lakers extends beyond the team having his Bird rights, which allows them to re-sign a player while exceeding the salary cap. He had enough big moments in the postseason and in the push to the playoffs, when he wasn’t fighting injuries, for the team to re-sign him.”
D’Lo was inconsistent for the Lakers this year, but he gave them enough offensively to think he could still work with LeBron and AD. With averages of 17.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds through 17 games with the Lakers, he’s probably the best available guard on the market.
What Will Happen With Austin Reaves And Rui Hachimura?
Russell isn’t the only player the Lakers will be looking to keep this summer. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are also crucial to the team’s future and the latest intel says Rob Pelinka will do whatever it takes to bring both of them back.
“The two priorities are certainly Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who are restricted free agents,” said Rob Pelinka. “I think the likelihood is that both are back in a Lakers uniform. My big question is what happens at the end of the week with Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley.”
Only time will tell how all of this plays out for the Lakers, but it’s clear that they aren’t ready to give up on their core group of guys. While they did fall short last season, maybe they can do better next time with a full offseason together.
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