Who should the Los Angeles Lakers sign this summer? The Lakers are down 0-3 to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, and it is not looking good for them. In fact, the writing could be on the wall for this team because LeBron James will be 39 years old at some point next season and will not get any better as a player. James had a very solid regular season, breaking the scoring record and averaging 28.9 PPG, but he only played 55 games. In the postseason, James’ shooting has been putrid, as he is only draining 24.2% of his three-point attempts. The same goes for Anthony Davis, a player whose numbers have been solid but whose lack of health and even more inconsistent play from him has marred the Lakers’ season.
The title window for the Lakers could be closing as they might have one more shot next season with James waiting on his son, Bronny James Jr, to decide his future. In other words, the Lakers have one more shot to win a championship in the LeBron James era. This summer, the Lakers need to be careful about who they trade for or sign in free agency. There are certain players that the Lakers must avoid at all costs because they could be a detriment to the team’s chemistry and success on the court. These players may have talent, but they come with baggage or concerns that make them a risky proposition in terms of on and off-court situations.
It is time to explore some of the players that the Lakers must avoid trading for or signing this offseason. We will examine these players’ strengths and weaknesses, as well as the reasons why they would not be a good fit for the Lakers. By highlighting the players that the Lakers must avoid, we hope to shed some light on the challenges that the organization faces in building a championship team. With the clock ticking on the Lakers as a franchise, here are the five major targets the team should completely avoid in the offseason.
Grant Williams
2022-23 Season Statistics: 8.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
The Los Angeles Lakers should avoid Grant Williams as a signing to bolster their frontcourt depth, not because he is a bad player but because he does not fit into the team’s scheme. In other words, Williams, like other players that will appear on this list, does not fit into Lakers’ culture. Williams had a decent season for the rival Boston Celtics team by posting 8.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG on 39.5% shooting from three, appearing in 79 games at an average of 25.9 MPG. Williams was mainly a backup to Al Horford and Robert Williams III because he hustles hard, plays defense, and brings effort at 6’6” and 236 lbs.
Williams is slightly undersized to occupy the power forward position but is quite heavy at over 230 lbs and is mobile in switching on defense. His ability to play a minimum of 25 minutes per game means he can be useful to a host of title contenders, but Grant’s willingness to “poke bears” does not exactly fit in with what the Lakers want to do next year. The Lakers’ title window is closing, with last year possibly the final run at it all, which means bringing in a player who does not fit into the culture is far too risky. Remember, Williams is also a free agent (if Boston does not extend a qualifying deal) and wants a long-term deal as a result.
Dillon Brooks
2022-23 Season Statistics: 14.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Dillon Brooks could be a player the Los Angeles Lakers might want to pounce on since the team has struggled to defend the likes of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr in the Western Conference Finals this year. Bringing in a player who made the All-Defensive Second Team could be interesting since Brooks is only 27 years old and is currently playing at a high level on defense. However, even if the currently exiled Memphis Grizzlies player is a talented two-way option, the Lakers should avoid signing him at all costs.
For one, Brooks is a very poor outside shooter. He shot only 32.6% from the floor during the regular season and 23.8% from three in the playoffs. No doubt, Brooks showed that he is too streaky for the Lakers to extend a long-term deal to, and having another liability from the perimeter is not the best idea. Secondly, Brooks’ attitude is not what the Lakers needed. The team had Patrick Beverley on the team along with the stubborn-minded Russell Westbrook, and they greatly improved once they were both gone. Replacing Beverley with Brooks is not a great idea because he brings even more unwanted attention to himself and the team and might not be conducive to winning, with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the Lakers.
Ben Simmons
2022-23 Season Statistics: 6.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG
What on Earth happened to Ben Simmons? The former 3-time All-Star and 2-time All-Defensive Team selection member has seen his value fall significantly after having the worst season of his career in 2023. Simmons averaged a “triple-single,” barely having an impact on the floor offensively. Simmons will always be a dynamic defender due to the fact that he is 6’10” and has 240 lbs of muscle, but an offensive liability will not earn minutes in the modern NBA. Rather, Simmons has been nothing but forgettable for the Brooklyn Nets.
The former No. 1 overall pick was benched by the Brooklyn Nets on many occasions because of his refusal to take outside shots, attempt less than 15 threes per season, and also shoot less than a putrid 44.0% from the free-throw line. Simmons simply cannot score unless he is right at the basket, and even then, he might pass up shots to not get fouled. The 26-year-old is suffering from mental struggles on the offensive side of the floor, and that means the Lakers cannot take a risk on him. The prospect of having a dominant defensive player might fool the Lakers, but the Australian player won’t benefit from having the bright lights of the Purple and Gold on him, and it could be a very ugly situation.
Chris Paul
2022-23 Season Statistics: 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Chris Paul is part of LeBron James’ banana boat crew and a close friend of The King. However, Paul is also 38 years old and clearly past his best. To be fair, the player known as the “Point God” will always be able to average a near double-double in his sleep because of his elite basketball IQ and experience. But he will always let teams down because of his inability to stay healthy in the playoffs, and that won’t change as he gets closer to 40 years old. Chris Paul frustrated the Houston Rockets in the 2018 Western Conference Finals and the Phoenix Suns in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals, and both times, the team struggled as a result of it.
The Los Angeles Lakers cannot risk going after a 38-year-old point guard even if he posted close to a double-double this season, he did so by only playing 59 games and missed significant times in critical moments due to injury. With the franchise already dealing with the inconsistencies with Anthony Davis’ health and even LeBron James’ age, adding another old player with an extensive injury history is not the best idea. In fact, it is a terrible idea that would kill the Lakers’ chances of going after another title next year. With James and Davis looking aged and injury-prone, the Lakers only have one more year to get the team right for one more hoorah.
James Harden
2022-23 Season Statistics: 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 10.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG
The NBA’s reigning assist leader and one of the game’s most talented offensive players has just declined his player option for the 2023-24 NBA season. As a result, there is speculation about where James Harden will end up because it seems the Philadelphia 76ers are not the team The Beard wants to join. Harden proved he can be a “John Stockton” type of player because of his ability in the pick-and-roll alongside another star player, but it was not enough because the 76ers ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Not to mention, Harden once again dealt with his playoff demons because he had some bad games against the Celtics (13 points on 25% shooting in Game 6, 9 points on 27.3% shooting in Game 7).
The Lakers need a player to take the burden off of LeBron James and Anthony Davis and not one that will come up short in critical moments. James Harden is an incredibly talented offensive player, but he comes with some baggage in that he prefers to enjoy the nightlife when he’s away and is not on the same level as LeBron James in terms of work ethic and focus. Not to mention, Harden won’t be able to accept being the third option behind James and Davis and that just won’t turn out well as we saw with the Brooklyn Nets led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. As great as James Harden is in terms of ball-handling and playmaking, he is not worth the risk at this stage of his career because he is not worth maximum money with the Lakers’ title window closing.
