The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from 2022 playoff contention after losing to the Suns on Tuesday night. The Lakers’ most recent defeat was their seventh in a row, giving them an ugly 31-48 record on the season with only three games left.
- 1. Keep LeBron James And Anthony Davis
- 2. Trade Russell Westbrook
- 3. Make Sure Kendrick Nunn Opts In To His Player Option
- 4. Find Help At The Center Position
- 5. Scour The Market For Two-Way Wings
- The Lakers Roster For The 2022-23 NBA Season
- Starters:
- Bench:
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This is only the fourth time LeBron James has missed the playoffs in his 19-year career in what has been a disastrous season for the Purple and Gold. The Lakers have struggled to stay healthy. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been sidelined multiple times with varying injuries, and point guard Kendrick Nunn has failed to suit up this season with a lingering knee issue. Former MVP Russell Westbrook has seen his numbers and overall level of play fall off a cliff due mainly to his declining athleticism and lack of on-court fit next to LBJ and AD.
Things seem ugly in La La Land with no easy fixes around the corner, but Lakers fans have seen this movie before. During LeBron’s first year in LA, he missed significant time with the first major injury of his career as the Purple and Gold floundered to a 37-45 record. Lakers management pulled off a trade for Anthony Davis during the offseason, and they went on to win the 2020 “Bubble” title.
This summer, the Lakers can overhaul their roster again, transforming into a genuine title contender.
Below we’ll break down the five steps Lakers management must take during the 2022 offseason to create a championship-caliber squad in Los Angeles.
1. Keep LeBron James And Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis has missed significant time throughout the last two seasons with varying injuries, and LeBron James, 37, will enter his 20th season next year. AD’s fragility has led many fans and experts to scream, “Trade AD. He’s always injured!” At the same time, LeBron’s age has pushed some fans and writers into dreaming up wild rebuilding trades centered around this generation’s most valuable player.
Should the Lakers trade LBJ or AD?
NO!!!!!
Seriously. NO!!!!!
It’s true Anthony Davis has been sidelined several times over the last couple of seasons. Several other superstars have also missed considerable playing time. Have a look:
Anthony Davis: 76 games played throughout the last two seasons
Kawhi Leonard: 52 games played throughout the last two seasons
Paul George: 83 games played throughout the last two seasons
Kevin Durant: 87 games played throughout the last two seasons
Damian Lillard: 96 games played throughout the last two seasons
AD joins several elite NBA players who have played under 100 games during the last two seasons. Still, you don’t hear Brooklyn fans chanting, “Trade KD. Trade KD!” Nor do you hear Clippers or Trail Blazers diehards creating trade scenarios on message boards across the internet.
The narrative surrounding Anthony Davis is unfair. Over the last two years, he’s suffered several unfortunate injuries, including having a player pushed into his knee by his teammate LeBron and landing on Rudy Gobert’s oversized shoe, going for a rebound. Despite Davis’s range of minor issues, he’s never suffered a major, athletic-sapping injury that might reduce his future value and effectiveness.
Anthony Davis, 29, is smack in the middle of his prime, a top-10 player who is good for 20-plus points nightly while playing some of the most effective inside-out defense of the last 20 years. The Lakers would be crazy to trade AD because he’s suffered through a couple of injury-plagued seasons. It’s challenging (to say the least) to acquire superstar talent. When you’re lucky enough to land a generational talent like Davis who wants to play for your organization, you don’t overplay your hand by making an over reactionary, shortsighted deal. The Lakers need to keep their talented big man.
LeBron James is 37-years-old, and while he’s shown no sign of slowing down on offense, many fans have taken exception to his lackluster play on defense. Over the last 20 games or so, LBJ has shown next to no interest in getting stops, but can you blame him?
Since the All-Star break, LeBron James’s three most reliable teammates have been undrafted rookie Austin Reaves, mid-season pick-up Stanley Johnson, and minimum contract offense-first Malik Monk. That’s not exactly a winning combination. LeBron James could have broken his back to get stops over the last couple of months, and it wouldn’t have made a difference.
LeBron James has shown no signs of slowing down. He’s second in the league in scoring at 30.3 points per game, and he still plays above the rim, hitting multiple rim crushing dunks nightly. LBJ hasn’t lost his side-to-side mobility or strength, and when needed, he’s one of the best pure perimeter defenders in the league. James is more than capable of shutting down the most potent offensive weapons in the NBA across multiple late-game possessions.
LeBron James is a top-5 player, and despite his age, the Lakers would be incredibly foolish to trade him.
2. Trade Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook’s 2021-22 season has been awful. He’s the most inefficient high-volume three-point shooter in the league and leads the league in total turnovers while playing some of the most ineffective point-of-attack defense in the last ten years. Combine Brodie’s play with his massive $47 million player option for next year, and he’ll be nearly impossible to trade over the offseason.
The Rockets are probably the only team that will bite.
Los Angeles and Houston reportedly had a deal in place before the 2022 trade deadline with Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, and the Lakers 2027 first-rounder heading to Texas for John Wall and Christian Wood. The Purple and Gold backed out at the last minute, shying away from including their first-round pick.
The Lakers will have to go back to Houston management over the summer and consummate this deal, including their pick if necessary. It will be worth it to dump Brodie and his I-Don’t-Care attitude along with THT, a player who has quietly had a dreadful season, shooting 27.2% from beyond the arc and only 61.4% at the rim while playing flat-footed and unintelligent defense.
With this deal, the Lakers move Brodie and THT, two of the worst long-distance shooters/perimeter defenders in the league, and bring in John Wall and Christian Wood.
John Wall hasn’t played this season because Houston decided to build toward their future by letting their young players figure things out on the court. Last year Wall averaged 20.6 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 1.1 SPG across 40 games, showing that after two major leg injuries, he still has some juice left in his legs. John Wall isn’t a pure three-point shooter, but he shot 34.0% from deep across a five-year span from 2013-14 through 2017-18, which is light years ahead of what Brodie has shown from deep. Wall also made the All-Defensive Team in 2015 (a feat Westbrook has never come close to achieving), and while his lateral agility has certainly been sapped after tearing his Achilles, the desire is there. Last season Wall had a 47.3 Defensive Field Goal Percentage, a top 100 figure among all NBA guards (minimum 25 games played), and a marked improvement over anything Brodie has to offer.
Christian Wood is a sweet-shooting big man who has unicorn potential. Wood has shot 38.0% from deep across his career, and it’s easy to see him sliding into the Lakers starting lineup and setting up beyond the arc as a floor-spacing forward, helping create lanes for LBJ and AD. Wood is also a solid defender, capable of protecting the rim and light enough on his feet to shift out to the perimeter and defend quicker wings.
If the Lakers subtract Westbrook and THT, two of the least valuable perimeter players in the league for Wall and Wood, they will instantly increase their ability to get stops on defense and hit open shots on offense.
3. Make Sure Kendrick Nunn Opts In To His Player Option
Kendrick Nunn has missed the entire 2021-22 season with an obscure knee injury, another unlucky break in a season that saw the Lakers pocket Aces get busted on the river constantly.
Kendrick Nunn was the Miami Heat’s starting point guard last season, averaging 14.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 0.9 APG while shooting 38.1% from deep with a 59.6 TS%. Nunn, 26, was an excellent James Harden type of point guard in 2021-22, taking roughly 80% of his shots at the rim, where he finished 75.5% of his attempts or from beyond the arc (38.1%).
Nunn’s absence has become an afterthought in a Lakers season full of more compelling stories. Still, he’s an excellent point guard who constantly pressures opposing defenses and plays solid perimeter defense. He’d fit perfectly next to James and Davis.
Kendrick Nunn has a $5 million player option for next season, and Lakers management needs to guarantee him a prominent role on the 2022-23 squad, ensuring he opts into his deal in what will be a huge prove it year for the former Heat guard.
4. Find Help At The Center Position
Frank Vogel is all but done as the Lakers head coach, but he was set up to fail this season. Over the summer, Lakers management brought in two well-past-their-prime centers in DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. Jordan seemed lost from the start and was out of the rotation by December. Dwight Howard tried hard but moved like a 50-year-old math teacher for much of the season.
Anthony Davis broke down with two (well-documented) injuries, forcing Vogel to play LeBron James at the center position for the first time in his career, and 6-7 Carmelo Anthony spent 41% of his court time at the 5.
Carmelo Anthony played at the center position throughout 41% of his 1,793 total minutes!!!!!
Lakers management needs to bring in two real-life centers who can provide rim protection, guard the pick and roll, and occasionally switch onto smaller players on the perimeter. Four solid minimum salary centers will be free agents during the summer of 2022:
Hassan Whiteside: $2.4 million 2021 salary
Andre Drummond: $2.4 million 2021 salary
Dewayne Dedmon: $2.4 million 2021 salary
Bismack Biyombo: $1.4 million 2021 salary
Hassan Whiteside is the Lakers’ most viable option. He’s a legit 7-footer who’s averaged 8.1 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.5 BPG across 62 games for the Utah Jazz. Whiteside would provide the size and rim protection the Lakers have been dying for all season long.
Bismack Biyombo would give the Lakers excellent depth at the center position. The former first-round pick has been a nice story this season. After falling out of the league, he joined the Suns halfway through the year and has played 120% defense, providing Phoenix with solid post defense and rim protection throughout 13.2 minutes nightly.
The Lakers need to get younger and bigger in the offseason. Dwight Howard, 36, and Carmelo Anthony, 37, did their best for the Lakers, but they’re on their last NBA legs. Whiteside and Biyombo would add some much-needed energy and size.
5. Scour The Market For Two-Way Wings
The Lakers featured the worst collection of wings in the league throughout 2021-22.
Trevor Ariza shot 27.0% from deep with an ugly 114 Defensive Rating.
Kent Bazemore hit 36.7% from beyond the arc, but his defense was so non-existent Frank Vogel couldn’t play him.
Talen Horton-Tucker combined awful long-distance shooting with poor perimeter defense.
Malik Monk and Austin Reaves were bright spots, but Reaves often found himself in over his head during his first season, and Monk was nowhere near a lockdown defender.
The Lakers need to bring in two-way wing talent, but that will be difficult. The Purple and Gold will have nearly their entire cap sheet tied up in three players, LeBron, Davis, and Westbrook or Wall. Two-way wings are also in hot demand across the league, an essential ingredient to any championship recipe.
Due to their limited funds and supply and demand issues, the Lakers will be unable to sign the premier wings available in free agency this summer. There are a few options, though.
Tony Snell is probably the best low-cost option. He’s shooting 35.3% from deep this season, and he’s a capable defender. He’d become the Lakers’ best two-way role player, an athlete capable of spreading the floor and harassing opposing wings on the less fun end.
Markieff Morris is another wing the Lakers should consider. He’s on a minimum contract and has had trouble finding court time for the Heat this season. Morris has a dependable three-point stroke, supplies good post defense, and moves his feet well on the perimeter for a 6-9 forward.
The Lakers also locked up Stanley Johnson through next season on a $2 million deal, and they should look to re-sign rookie Austin Reaves to a reasonable multi-year agreement. Both players provided the Lakers with offensive energy and above-average defense this season.
The Lakers Roster For The 2022-23 NBA Season
Starters:
John Wall
LeBron James
Christian Wood
Anthony Davis
Hassan Whiteside
Bench:
Kendrick Nunn
Tony Snell/Austin Reaves
Stanley Johnson
Markieff Morris
Bismack Biyombo
The Lakers would feature a massive starting unit (James, Woods, Davis, and Whiteside are all 6-9 or taller) in the mold of the 2021-22 Cavs (6th DEFRTG) and the Celtics (1st DEFRTG), two teams that had a “Twin Towers” set up in their starting lineups. Our proposed starting five would help the Purple and Gold get back to their 2020 title style of play, putting defense first while allowing LBJ and AD to physically abuse opposing teams on offense.
John Wall and Kendrick Nunn could battle it out for starting point guard duties during training camp, but Nunn’s three-point shooting and Christian Wood’s long distance stroke would probably fit best with LBJ and AD in the starting lineup. Whiteside would also work nicely as a rim protecting big man who could help take pressure off AD and ensure he stays healthy.
Overall, the Lakers would be much younger, with an actual identity as a physical defensive team that grinds opposing squads down with their length and athleticism. This Lakers team would be in the thick of the title race next season. And John Wall’s massive $47 million contract would come off the books over the summer of 2023, setting up the Lakers with max-player money the following year.
