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LeBron James' tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers has been polarizing at the very least. While the Lakers did capture an NBA championship in 2020, things haven't panned out since then. Here are the Lakers' 10 worst roster moves in the LeBron James era, ranked.
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1. Trading for Russell Westbrook
Prior to the 2021-22 season, the Lakers thought they needed a third star to maximize the duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. As a result, the Lakers decided to trade for 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook. In the process, they gave up key players Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Montrezl Harrell.
Right from the get-go, there were already concerns about fit. Unfortunately, critics turned out to be right, as the Lakers failed to make the playoffs that year followed by a nightmare start to the 2022-23 season. Parting ways with Westbrook ultimately turned the Purple and Gold back into a contender.
2. Letting Alex Caruso walk
After a failed title defense, Alex Caruso's contract expired. Despite having the option to retain his services, the Lakers only offered him a two-year deal worth $15 million. Caruso opted to sign with the Chicago Bulls on a four-year contract that would pay him $37 million.
In the process, the Purple and Gold decided to keep Talen Horton-Tucker with a three-year contract worth $32 million. The move would bite the Lakers, as THT would never develop into a reliable rotational piece for the team, at the very least. On the other hand, Caruso shone bright in the Windy City, leaving Los Angeles to miss his two-way play.
3. The acquisition of Kendrick Nunn
With the Lakers looking to regain their bearings after a failed title defense, the team made a head-turning roster move in the 2021 offseason by signing Kendrick Nunn. Lakers fans witnessed Nunn's breakout, having a good look on him when the team battled the Miami Heat at the 2020 NBA Finals. However, this wasn't the same Nunn, as he was recovering from a knee injury.
Unfortunately, the injury never allowed him to regain his previous form. With the Lakers, Nunn sat out the entire 2021-22 season before playing in only 39 games the following year. He averaged only 6.7 points per game before the Lakers traded him to the Washington Wizards a month before the trade deadline.
4. Choosing not to retain Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee
Fresh from winning an NBA title, the biggest mistake the front office committed was letting Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee go. The team had just witnessed how both centers were able to unleash Anthony Davis' peak form. Furthermore, having the luxury of a deep center rotation was a key ingredient to the team's championship run.
However, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka reportedly wanted fresh legs due to a short offseason thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the Lakers are still trying to regain their glory days with LeBron James.
5. Luring Montrezl Harrell away from the Clippers
With the departures of Howard and McGee, the team needed to scour for available big men in the offseason. One of their major signings was the 2020 NBA Sixth Man of the Year in Montrezl Harrell. Skills-wise and play style, Harrell fit the bill as a strong finisher and shot-blocker in the mold of either Howard or McGee. However, the main issue was his size. Standing at only 6-foot-7, Harrell was undersized, making him an easy target for bigger centers. This forced coach Frank Vogel to glue him to the bench.
6. Reuniting with an aging Marc Gasol
Like Harrell, the Lakers also picked up Marc Gasol to shore up the void in the frontcourt. Initially, signing the younger Gasol was a welcome sight. He was a more skilled center compared to Howard and McGee. Equipped with size, defense, and playmaking, it originally looked like an upgrade. However, when Gasol played in a Lakers uniform, it was a disappointing stint. Gasol's aging body prevented him from protecting the rim like he used to. Furthermore, his skills didn't exactly fit within the system.
7. Signing Andre Drummond
With Gasol failing to live up to expectations, the Lakers resorted to the buyout market, securing the services of All-Star center Andre Drummond. Drummond seemed like a center who was closer to the mold of Howard and McGee compared to Gasol. He was also fresh from racking up double-doubles with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Unfortunately, Drummond's play style clogged the lane for the Purple and Gold, negatively affecting the spacing for LeBron James and Davis to operate. In fact, Vogel didn't even play him during the first-round playoff series against the Phoenix Suns.
8. Getting DeAndre Jordan
The Lakers didn't exactly learn their lesson with Drummond. Prior to the 2021-22 season, they decided to pursue DeAndre Jordan. At his peak, Jordan was a onetime NBA All-Star who was a great finisher around the rim. However, at this time, he was already 33 years old. The 6-foot-11 center was dealing with Father Time. Moreover, he was limited offensively, clogging up the lane similar to what Drummond's presence did. As a result, the Lakers were forced to trade him just after 19 games.
9. Signing Alex Len in the buyout market
To this day, Los Angeles has had problems filling up their center position. After the Mark Williams trade was rescinded, the Purple and Gold were once again forced to look towards the buyout market. Hence, they signed Ukrainian center Alex Len. The 12-year NBA veteran had the size, skills, and experience. However, he's looking like another failed acquisition.
In a Lakers uniform, Len is averaging only 1.0 point and 2.3 rebounds per game. There's a good reason as to why coach J.J. Redick hasn't given him many minutes. He's very slow on his feet and looks lost whenever he's on the court.
10. Drafting Bronny James
Although this allowed the Lakers to witness the first ever father and son duo together in the NBA, drafting Bronny James doesn't exactly bring value to a Lakers squad with playoff aspirations. The second-round draft pick is averaging only 1.4 points per game this year, as he spends most of his time playing for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G-League.
The move was probably made to keep the elder James happy. However, it's simply hard to see Bronny become a major contributor once the playoffs roll by. However, Bronny did have a career-best 17 points recently in a game when the Lakers were very short-handed.
