With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers still have the same championship core that won the title back in 2020. Even still, this team looks vastly different than that bubble squad, and the roster could be on the verge of another major overhaul this summer.
After losing in the West Finals, the Lakers are expected to be aggressive in their search for talent, but one NBA GM says that it’s almost impossible to predict what they’ll do. But with the status of so many players currently up in the air, we can expect them to take a chance on some guys already in the locker room.
“A lot depends on what happens with the guys they’ve got, (Malik) Beasley, Lonnie Walker and the bigger guys like Rui [Hachimura] and D’Angelo Russell,” the GM explained to Heavy. “Austin Reaves, you kind of know where he is going to be in the first two years of his deal [because of CBA restrictions]. They’re going to be looking at the tax, for sure. They want to give their young guy, [Max] Christie, a good look, he could be in the rotation next year. I think they also like Cole Swider, who is on a two-way. It’s possible they won’t have a ton of roster overhaul, but they would like another shooter.”
Obviously, the Lakers have a few needs that need to be addressed, but perimeter shooting is probably the biggest priority right now. With an aging LeBron and AD, the Lakers need shot-makers to spread the floor and keep the offense running smoothly.
Of course, free agency isn’t the only option for L.A. They could also make a trade with the assets last they’ve got left.
Lakers Are Committed To Building Around Star-Studded Duo
With all the talk about LeBron’s retirement, some Lakers fans are pushing for the team to start a rebuild over trying to win now around an older duo. That scenario is still a long shot for the Lakers, as even Pelinka himself confirmed that they want to continue building around LeBron and AD.
“LeBron and AD as two pillars is, you know, to us an unmatched combination that will continue to lean into and build around and both incredibly high character players that want to win, play the game the right way,” said Rob Pelinka. “We’re proud of that combination of superstars and want to continue to invest in that and invest in advancing the growth we had this year into next season.”
We will find out soon enough how this summer plays out for the Lake Show, but it’s pretty telling that this team continues to be among the biggest stories in basketball after being eliminated.
If they play their cards right and make smart choices this summer, it could be the point that leads to great success. If not, it could set them back for years to come.
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