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Championship or bust. This is always the expectation that the Los Angeles Lakers face, especially ever since LeBron James joined the team in 2018. While the Lakers and James did win a championship in 2020, the last few seasons have been filled with disappointment. Even winning the very first NBA In-Season Tournament and hanging a new banner last season didn't matter all that much. The Lakers needed to make winning moves this offseason, yet the summer was filled with a lack of communication and moves that only please LeBron.
As James prepares for his 22nd NBA season, there really isn't anything more for him to do than win another championship. To be playing at the level he is on the verge of turning 40 is unheard of in this league, yet the Lakers are taking his greatness for granted by not going out and being aggressive on the free agent and trade markets.
It is not hard to say that James is still the Lakers best player. Anthony Davis brings a lot to the table on both sides of the court, but this is still James' team. When he is healthy and playing at the level he was to finish the 2023-24 season, as well as in the Olympics, the Lakers can be a contending threat. However, the rest of this roster remains a mystery because of their inconsistent play.
D'Angelo Russell receives too much criticism, despite some underwhelming performances here and there. After all, he led the team in threes last season, and he averaged 18.0 points per game, his highest scoring average over the last handful of seasons. Then again, Russell's expiring $18.6 million contract may be the only path to Los Angeles being able to pull off a big trade for an upgrade this year.
Conversations about the Lakers inconsistencies also revolve around Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and the rest of the second unit. Reaves is a really solid secondary talent that helps fill a lot of gaps for the Lakers. At the same time, his value has been inflated by the Lakers, and the team hasn't shown any willingness to involve him in trade discussions. When Hachimura is given opportunities to score, he has proven to be a weapon that can play on the wing or in the paint. But the Lakers simply don't give the 26-year-old enough consistent minutes for him to really leave his mark.
That is the main problem that the Lakers face right now. While they have some really solid players, the Lakers may not have the right personnel in place, especially next to James and Davis, who are so ball-dominant on every possession. It became clear after losing in the first round of the playoffs that change was needed. While some argued that the Lakers needed to take a long look at their roster, the organization believed that a change in leadership and philosophy was needed.
As a result, the Lakers fired Darvin Ham after two seasons and a 90-74 record. A trip to the 2023 Western Conference Finals and an In-Season Tournament banner were not enough for Ham to keep his job, which is a shame because he was not this organization's only problem. With Ham walking out the door, the Lakers began their search for a new head coach, one that may have been decided long ago.
The Lakers hired former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick as their new head coach, even though he has no prior head coaching experience at any level. Between his analytical approach to the game and the new-age thinking of hiring young head coaches, Redick stood out as the guy for the Lakers. But his new podcast with LeBron that began during the 2023-24 season was immediately what people pointed to to say that was the moment Los Angeles decided to move on from Ham in favor of Redick.
Whether or not swapping Ham for Redick was something the Lakers needed to do in order to find success will be learned over the course of the 2024-25 season. But the underlying problem this franchise has faced over the last several years is that there hasn't been a plan in place with LeBron on the roster other than to compete for titles. Unfortunately, the Lakers have not lived up to expectations, and their time with James is rapidly running out.
Lakers key offseason additions and departures
Additions: F Dalton Knecht (Draft), G Bronny James (Draft)
Departures: F Taurean Prince (FA – MIL), G Spencer Dinwiddie (FA – DAL)
Money became an issue for the Lakers this offseason, and that was clear based on the fact that they didn't make any serious moves in free agency or on the trade market. Despite LeBron showing a willingness to take a paycut in order for Los Angeles to pursue a player like Klay Thompson on the open market, the organization never seemed to come close to luring Thompson or any other notable free agents. As a result, James didn't take a paycut, and the Lakers gave him a two-year, $101 million contract that contains a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Essentially, LeBron is going to do the same thing he did this offseason in terms of opting out and allowing the Lakers to use his contract situation as leverage in order to pursue talent.
The underlying factor that influenced this offseason in Los Angeles was money. Russell, Reaves, and Hachimura are combining to make over $48 million this upcoming season, and both Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt are making over $10 million individually. Due to James waiting to sign his new contract, this immediately put the Lakers above the first tax apron. If they had made any other moves in terms of adding talent in free agency, Los Angeles would've become a second apron tax team, which would severely limit their abilities to make future trades.
This is something Pelinka and the Lakers' front office wanted to avoid, which is why re-signing LeBron and giving Max Christie his small contract extension were the only moves this franchise made. Once LeBron agreed to terms on his new contract, the Lakers found themselves with a payroll of about $188.8 million, exactly $45,001 below the second tax apron, according to Spotrac. It is clear to see that this was a very precise and strategic move by the front office in order to duck the second tax apron.
With no room to make moves in free agency, the Lakers also struggled to find any moves that would've fully benefited them on the trade market. Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine were never real trade targets for the Lakers, league sources told ClutchPoints, and the Atlanta Hawks weren't interested in discussing Trae Young trade scenarios. Donovan Mitchell signed an extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, taking him off the Lakers' wish list, and the Miami Heat never made Jimmy Butler available in any trade talks.
No impactful stars being available on the trade market has left the Lakers with the option to pursue secondary players like Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Bruce Brown, and Jerami Grant. There hasn't been any momentum trending in the direction of the Lakers seriously considering a trade for any of these four players ahead of training camp.
Due to no free agency signings and no trades being made, the Lakers' only two additions this offseason ended up being Dalton Knecht and Bronny James.
It was quite surprising to see Knecht available for the Lakers with the 17th overall pick, especially considering that many teams inside the top 10 of this year's draft held interest in the Tennessee scorer. Everything happens for a reason, and perhaps Knecht was destined to be in Los Angeles with Redick as his head coach, especially since the rookie has studied his new head coach throughout the years.
Then there is Bronny, who everyone knew was going to be on the Lakers roster. LeBron has talked on numerous occasions about wanting to play in the NBA with his son, and now he is going to have the chance to do so during the 2024-25 season. It is definitely going to be a special moment to see Bronny and LeBron on the court together as the first father-son duo in league history, but there's really not much else to say about this situation.
Bronny is far from being NBA-ready, and it is hard to imagine that the Lakers would've taken a chance on him after one season at USC if LeBron wasn't on the roster. The Lakers drafted Bronny before his father signed a new contract in free agency, which is why this was yet another strategic move by the organization.
Questions and a cloud of uncertainty have continued to surround the Lakers in the last few seasons of LeBron's career, which is why they are hoping Redick can be the team's saving grace.
How JJ Redick can maximize Lakers' roster
Whether or not the Lakers were right to move on from Ham after two winning seasons is simply a matter of opinion. On one hand, he did bring them to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and help the team claim the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament championship. On the other side of things, Ham lost the respect of his locker room and never seemed to have firm leadership on the sidelines.
The Lakers needed to find a coach who could command respect but also have an edge to him in order to find success during games. That is why UConn men's basketball head coach Dan Hurley became their top target after back-to-back national championships with the Huskies. Hurley was offered a six-year, $70 million contract to become the next head coach of the Lakers, and the two sides apparently shared mutual interest, but the college coach decided to hang tight in Stores, Connecticut, instead of moving to Los Angeles.
Throughout their coaching search, Redick had long been at the top of the Lakers' list. Once Hurley declined the job, the Lakers wanted nobody other than Redick to take over, given his relationship with LeBron and his vision for developing the youth of this roster.
The key trait that could make Redick successful from the start is that he is a visionary. Redick simply understands the game of basketball, and his background as one of the league's best shooters allows him to see things on the court that others don't, pertaining to open space, defensive assignments, how to get certain players open, and so much more. The combined knowledge of James, Davis, and Redick may just be enough for the Lakers to simplify things and get back to playing at a championship level.
This is, by no means, a bad hire for the Lakers. However, this is certainly a big gamble for the Lakers to take, with LeBron only having a couple of years left in the tank.
In order for this hire to be deemed a success, Redick is going to need to really connect with the younger players and secondary players in Los Angeles. James and Davis are going to do their thing, but if the new head coach can begin to maximize the potential of his shooters and secondary defenders, then the Lakers will easily be able to increase their win total. Not to mention, there will be a clear vision for what this organization will look like once LeBron is ready to retire.
Hiring Redick was certainly a necessary risk that the Lakers took.
Lakers 2024-25 season outlook
The 2024-25 NBA season is going to make or break the Lakers' future. In all honesty, this may be their last chance to actually contend for a title with LeBron James as their focal point, simply because this may be his last season of truly giving it his all.
Many have speculated that LeBron will retire after his 23rd season, which would make sense seeing as he has always worn No. 23 on his jersey. James has never been one to not give it his all, but there will be more motivation to win right now while he is still feeling great than during his farewell tour.
There is also the notion of Davis finally being fully healthy for once. The star big man looked great during the Olympics, and the 76 games he played in during the 2023-24 season were the most Davis has played in a single season with the Lakers. At 31 years old, Davis is still in the prime of his career and arguably playing his best basketball in purple and gold.
Regardless of what the rest of this roster looks like, even though it is likely that the Lakers will be making trades at some point, now is the time for Los Angeles to rise to the occasion. Last season, the Lakers stumbled out of the gates and didn't find their footing until the second half of the year. If the Lakers can get things going early and take advantage of tough matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers to begin the season, then this will send a clear message to the rest of the Western Conference.
This is a talented team. Russell has the capability to be a strong three-point shooter, Reaves can do a little bit of everything, and the Lakers have other factors that can increase their chances of finding success on defense. The only way the Lakers miss the playoffs is if they get in over their heads.
