At 19-19 this season, the Los Angeles Lakers are clearly not in a good place right now and the need for reinforcements is evident. So far, nobody on the roster has been able to step up to provide what their search has already begun for outside help. According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka will be active this trade season, looking specifically to add shooting and shot-creating.
“The #1 need they [Lakers] feel like they need to address before the deadline is the offense end, bring more shooting, bring in maybe another off-the-dribble scorer because right now it’s like, LeBron and AD are dropping 30 points every night and they’re still struggling,” said Buha.
The Lakers have leaned toward defense for most of the LeBron James years. This summer, they doubled down on that approach by signing guys like Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish to play on the wings. But now, the case can be made that the Lakers leaned too far in that direction since anyone not named LeBron James or Antony Davis is struggling to score.
Rob Pelinka Working Overtime
LeBron James is 39 years old now, and the clock on his window as a star is almost at zero. If the Lakers want to maximize what’s left of LeBron’s productive years, they will need to build up the depth as soon as possible. This season, after various trade moves to shake things up, the Lakers don’t have much in the way of assets but they still have a first-round pick to offer in any potential deal. The question is, what players would they realistically land?
In Toronto, the aftermath of the OG Anonuby trade is leaving some to wonder if Pascal Siakam is next on the list, and he could be someone who gives the Lakers some juice on both ends of the floor. There’s also Zach LaVine, who is one of the best pure scorers in the league. If the price is too steep for Siakam and Zach, somebody like Alex Caruso could fit the bill since he can do it all on the court. Either way, the Lakers are going to be busy over the next few weeks and it’s really only a matter of time before they shake things up and go all-in on their next move.
D’Angelo Russell On The Trade Block
Once seen as a feel-good story for the Lakers, D’Angelo Russell’s return has turned into resentment from both sides. He started off well enough this season, but D’Angelo has struggled to hit shots over the past six weeks, making him nearly unplayable on the floor for LA. Now, his best value may be on the trade block as the Lakers look to make changes. In the right package, Russell could bring back a valuable return for the Lakers and he could very well be the key to finding their next permanent piece.
For Pelinka, his work is cut out for him either way. Ranked 24th offensively this season, the room for improvement is vast and there is no easy fix to the situation. Clearly, however, their thinking is that more shooters and shot makers will help to stop the bleeding and it’s hard to disagree with that notion given how they’ve looked all season long.
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