General manager Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers have somehow managed to have an eventful offseason that has simultaneously not gotten the team any closer to true contention in the Western Conference. While the hiring of JJ Redick and the drafting of Bronny James were storylines that dominated the national media cycle, the teams around the Lakers in the standings have actually made moves to get better, causing fans to have even more frustration with Pelinka and the rest of the front office brass.
Earlier this offseason, it was reported that Lakers star LeBron James would be willing to take a pay cut if it meant that the team could lure in a prized free agent such as Klay Thompson or DeMar DeRozan. However, neither of those moves materialized, and James opted to take his full potential salary for the next two years.
Now, more light is being shed on why exactly the Lakers are struggling to do much of anything this offseason.
“One of the reasons the Lakers have been unable to make any signings and had to explore trades is that four roster holdovers who were given second-year player options last summer — D’Angelo Russell, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes and Cam Reddish — opted in due to their performances last season and the tight free-agent market,” reported Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “The latter three players, in particular, and the presence of developmental projects like Jalen Hood-Schifino, Maxwell Lewis and Bronny James, have created a rough backend to the Lakers’ roster. The team has several players who appear unlikely to contribute meaningfully next season and wouldn’t be in the rotations of most playoff teams.”
Indeed, the Lakers have several players who underperformed last year either during the regular season or the playoffs and thus decided to take their player options and the guaranteed money that came with them as opposed to testing the market, which has hamstrung the Lakers' ability to make any real moves so far.
What is the Lakers' ceiling?
Probably not very high, as currently constructed. While James and Anthony Davis are both still top fifteen players, the Lakers' supporting cast doesn't have enough defense or shooting to truly compete with teams like the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, or the Dallas Mavericks.
Buha did note that Los Angeles isn't completely out of options when it comes to the rest of the offseason.
“The most straightforward way the Lakers can add talent is to make a consolidation trade,” reported Buha. “They can either send out more players than they receive in a deal or salary-dump Reddish, Wood and/or Hayes, along with a second-round pick or two, onto a team with roster and financial flexibility.”
Even if Los Angeles is able to swing a trade for a solid piece or two, it's hard to envision the team taking themselves from first round exit to championship contender at this point in the NBA offseason.
In any case, the schedule for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign is set to be released in August.
Follow Us
Subscribe
