The Denver Nuggets are mostly to blame for ending the Lakers’ season, but there are many factors that led to their downfall. Besides inconsistency from LeBron and Anthony Davis, it was a lack of help from the supporting cast that had the Lakers playing from behind all season long.
This summer, Rob Pelinka hopes to change the situation once and for all with one big, blockbuster move to put his team over the edge. According to Jovan Buha, early trade targets include both Damian Lillard and Hawks sharpshooter Trae Young, who have been on the team’s radar now for years.
“Since its 2020 championship, when then-35-year-old LeBron James and then-33-year-old Rajon Rondo excelled as the Lakers’ lead ballhandlers, Los Angeles has used a revolving door of point guards,” wrote Jovan Buha. “James’ advanced age and mounting injuries, as well as an internal acknowledgment that he should play off the ball more, have created a need for more supplementary ballhandling, playmaking and shot creation within Los Angeles’ offense. It’s why the Lakers have been enamored with the possibility of adding elite scoring guards like Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving through the years.”
The Lakers have internally discussed the possibility of landing Trae Young or Damian Lillard, per @jovanbuha pic.twitter.com/jMMFfjNgdZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 16, 2023
As LeBron James has aged, the Lakers have made it a priority to seek out ball handlers to relieve the workload for James. Unfortunately, they have yet to find one that sticks after cycling through Russell Westbrook and D’Angelo Russell.
The hope for Lakers Nation now, is that some other option becomes available this summer so they can add a third star to the roster. As the top shooters in the game, there would be no better fit for the Lakeshow than Young or Lillard.
Will The Lakers Chase Kyrie Irving?
One option for the Lakers is to go all-out for LeBron’s former teammate Kyrie Irving, who helped the Cavaliers end their decades-long championship drought. While not as dependable or trustworthy as Lillard, Kyrie brings a similar level of talent along with firsthand experience playing with the King.
As it stands, we know LeBron himself has at least some degree of interest in a reunion with Irving…
“There is a known preference to have Irving as the third star,” wrote Jovan Buha. “There are various machinations to make it work, including the Lakers creating upwards of $30-35 million in cap space by rescinding the free-agency rights of multiple players and declining multiple players’ team options.”
It will take some work to get the type of player they want, but there is a path for the Lakers to come out as the biggest winner of the summer. And after a run to the Western Finals this year, it might not take much more for this Lakers team to get where they want to be.
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