The 2023 offseason has arrived for the Lakers, and you can bet that Rob Pelinka is already hard at work figuring out what his team should do next. Assuming LeBron James returns, the Lakers will be in a position to compete next season, but they may want to add more to their roster if they want to get over the hump and beat a team like the Nuggets.
It’s still far too early to tell what will happen this summer, but the latest report out of Los Angeles suggests that Pelinka will be prioritizing perimeter shooting over all else during free agency.
“A top priority for the Lakers next season is 3-point shooting,” wrote The Athletic’s Jovan Buha. “With James and Davis as the stars, there always will be a limit to the volume of attempts they get up. The bread and butter of the offense will be James’ downhill attacks and Davis’ interior dominance, but a better cast of shooters would open up the paint even more and create better shots as a consequence.”
It remains to be seen what kind of shooters the Lakers will be able to add this July, but it is clear that they have no intention of giving up on their star duo. Despite much speculation around the future of Anthony Davis and a potential rebuild in LA, Pelinka still believes the title window is open and he will make win-now moves until proven otherwise.
Will The Lakers Run It Back?
Fans are expecting a bust summer for the Lakers, but it’s possible they don’t change much of their roster. In fact, according to Buha, the team is hoping to keep their guys and see how it goes if they start the season together.
“The tentative plan for the Lakers is to run it back with as much of this past season’s group as they can possibly afford under the new, stricter collective bargaining agreement. They will only pursue a third star if they deem that player of a certain caliber and believe he can fit next to James and Davis,” Buha wrote.
To be fair to the Lakers, they managed to make the West Finals despite being put together in the middle of the season. If they have more time to gel and are able to stay fully healthy, maybe the Lakers can make another run next year.
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