League executives are convinced that the Los Angeles Lakers will be a different animal in the 2019-20 NBA season.
The Lakers were a picture of disappointment in 2018-19 after failing to make the playoffs despite showing some positive signs earlier in the season. But after making flurry of moves this summer, rival executives believe that the Purple and Gold are now “way better” and “stronger” compared to last season.
“There's no question this is a much stronger team that fits around LeBron better,” a league executive told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
The Lakers acquired superstar forward Anthony Davis in a deal that sent Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and multiple first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans. One executive said that adding Davis alone was a huge move for the Lakers.
“They added Anthony Davis,” one executive furthered. “If they did nothing else, they were going to be way better.”
Aside from Davis, the Lakers also acquired complementary pieces to their roster. Los Angeles still has Kyle Kuzma and added two-way players like Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Jared Dudley. The Lakers also secured deals with former All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook and Troy Daniels.
Los Angeles also kept veterans Rajon Rondo, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso, who all played for them last season. The Lakers are also being linked to several veterans who could hit the free-agency market like Kyle Korver and Andre Iguodala.
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