Ever since the arrival of star point guard Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers have felt increasing pressure to surround him a team worthy of his talent. So far, as much as Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Marcus Smart have stepped up for the Lakers, it hasn’t been enough to match the top-tier contenders.
Still, one recent report suggests that we shouldn’t hold their breath on any major changes for the Purple and Gold. According to Heavy’s Sean Deveney, GM Rob Pelinka isn’t planning a major roster overhaul as some had hoped. Instead, the bulk of the focus will be spent at filling the center spot, especially if James (four-time champion) re-signs.
“Increasingly, it looks like the massive changes fans want for the Lakers aren’t quite what the team has in mind. The plan appears to be to keep Austin Reaves, at something less than the maximum $240 million-plus, and to seek solutions at the center spot, an annual tradition in LA,” wrote Deveney. “Beyond that, dreams of adding restricted free agents Walker Kessler, Peyton Watson, or Jalen Duren are almost certainly not happening. A LeBron James retirement would leave open some free-agent money, and a sign-and-trade elsewhere might be an opportunity to add (Jarrett Allen, perhaps), but if he returns, the Lakers won’t look drastically different.”
With several contracts off the books, the Lakers could create up to $60 million in cap space, enough to sign at least one big-name star player. That kind of flexibility has the potential to shift the NBA’s balance of power, but it may not last long. If Marcus Smart and center Deandre Ayton pick up their player options, and the Lakers keep cap holds for Reaves, Hachimura, and LeBron, they will not have nearly enough to make any seismic trade. The best they could do is find a replacement at center, where Deandre Ayton has often been lacking.
Together, that core was able to finish third in the regular season (53-29), but we saw how they fell apart in the playoffs. Against a well-oiled Thunder team that goes 10-11 men deep, the Lakers had absoluetly no answers. Austin Reaves and LeBron James tried their best to step up, but the Lakers simply didn’t have enough to beat them even once over eight games (regular season and playoffs).
So for the Lakers to enter next season with minimal changes would be a bad sign of their trajectory. As presently constructed, they cannot compete with the likes of the Thunder or Spurs, but Pelinka won’t take risks unless he’s sold on the vision. In the case of this summer’s offseason, LeBron James’ decision will play a huge role in events, as him going or staying would direcly impact the Lakers’ position.
Reagrdless of how it plays out, make no mistake: the Purple and Gold are in full win-now mode. Even if they don’t make external changes, JJ and the coaching staff will work tirelessly to improve the team from within and finally exceed expectations in the West. Only time will tell if it’s enough to keep up with the NBA elites.
