The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a rough season. The Purple and Gold had a 2-10 start to the 2022-23 NBA season and ended it by being swept in the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets.
On top of that, the Lakers have to deal with the possibility of LeBron James retiring from the league this summer. If that’s not enough, the organization will have to re-sign crucial players on the roster, such as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Keeping these things in mind, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report believes the Lakers are facing an identity crisis heading into the offseason.
“James’ dalliance with the idea of retirement hangs over everything, and if he were to [improbably] hang it up, Los Angeles wouldn’t so much have an identity crisis as an existential one,” Hughes wrote about James’ situation. “But assuming he returns, the team is still in a state of serious flux.”
He added: “The Lakers could retain their own free agents—principally Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dennis Schroder—guarantee Jarred Vanderbilt’s salary and pick up Malik Beasley’s team option. They could even re-sign D’Angelo Russell with the intention of trading him. Running it back with the personnel that helped the Lakers secure the league’s second-best record after the All-Star break seems like a decent plan.”
But is there no solution for the Los Angeles Lakers? Hughes believes if the Lakers renounce rights to its free agents, they can find an ‘escape route.’
“There’s also the cap-space route, which would see Los Angeles renounce rights to its free agents, trim salary everywhere possible, and clear enough room to throw $30 million at a third star,” he continued.
However, making this move could be a double-edged sword for the Lakers. Why? Because they already tried this method when they acquired Russell Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell in 2021.
“Will they learn from that mistake and trust in the players they’ve got, or will they give in to their star-chasing tendencies and James’ subtle pressure to make a move?” Hughes wrote in regards to the Lakers’ trade for Russell Westbrook.
To be honest, everything depends on what LeBron James will decide to do this summer. Sure, he has been linked with a move to the Dallas Mavericks. But let’s be honest, there is a very slim chance that James will agree to a $97.1 million buyout for reuniting with Kyrie Irving.
The Lakers finished the 2022-23 NBA season with a 43-39 record as the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They will be looking forward to making some moves this offseason to climb up a couple of spots in the crowded West.
The Los Angeles Lakers Are Linked To Signing Chris Paul This Summer
The Los Angeles Lakers could ramp things up by landing Chris Paul. Paul is expected to be waived by the Suns following a second-round exit. CP3 averaged just 12.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 7.4 APG in the postseason.
Sure, it was an underwhelming run by the 38-year-old, but he averaged 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 8.9 APG over 59 games during the 2022-23 regular season. Thus, adding him could be the missing piece that could convince LeBron James to stay and ultimately help the Lakers end their identity crisis.
This can also be a start to LeBron James creating his last superteam with the Lakers. As of now, there are just too many unknowns about the Lakers. Hopefully, the air will clear in the coming months.
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