The Los Angeles Lakers have had to make considerable changes to their squad this offseason. With LeBron James‘ departure triggering a flurry of signings this summer, the Purple and Gold arguably formed a balanced roster while simultaneously getting younger.
In many ways, these moves could be viewed favorably. With the team transitioning into an era where Luka Doncic is the face of the franchise, building a roster that caters to his needs seems ideal. Yet somehow, Fox Sports’ Nick Wright wasn’t in agreement with this.
During a recent episode of “What’s Wright?” Nick Wright singled out the Los Angeles Lakers and criticized their moves after LeBron James decided not to return. To take things a step further, however, Wright also justified how the Lakers were, in fact, the biggest losers during this period.
“Far and away, the biggest loser of this thing is the Lakers,” Wright stated. “LeBron James saved the damn franchise. That team, telling everyone who would listen what a pain in the a– LeBron is, led to a scenario where LeBron James was willing to play for the league minimum, but not for them.”
LeBron James’ free agency saga was grueling, to say the least. Although the Lakers made it abundantly clear that they would be open to James’ return, the caveat that he would have to accept a drastic pay cut led to the development of several narratives.
As the relationship between James and the franchise worsened, it became apparent that the superstar would not return. Instead, considering that he signed a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, James sent a clear message that he was ready to play for anyone but the Lakers.
“Turning the team over to Luka is totally understandable,” Wright continued. “[But] there’s a way to do that and keep an All-NBA-caliber guy on the minimum. Every single move the Lakers made this offseason, re-signing Austin, trading for Walker Kessler, adding some athleticism… You could have done all of that and still brought LeBron back for what the 76ers just got him for. Instead, they couldn’t wait for the LeBron era to be over.”
It is difficult to argue with Wright’s statement, primarily because virtually every point seems justified. James signed a minimum deal with the 76ers because the team presented the most potential as a title contender. Had the Lakers done the same, which arguably would have involved making similar moves, the Purple and Gold may have seen the 41-year-old return on a more team-friendly deal.
The Lakers’ approach toward getting younger and adding more athletic players is also reasonable. However, given how impactful James was last season, having averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game, one would assume that retaining him would have been equally valuable.
Now, LeBron James is headed over to the City of Brotherly Love to join one of the most stacked rosters in the NBA. Although many have criticized James’ decision to join the 76ers, the superstar clearly has an idea of what he wants to accomplish. With championship glory becoming a priority next season, it will be intriguing to see how the 41-year-old fares in Philadelphia.
