The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA’s biggest disappointments over the last three years, particularly during the regular season. Some would say that has happened since LeBron James came to Hollywood.
Since James arrived in LA before the 2019-20 season, the Lakers have posted a 254-217 record (.539), the 11th-best record in the league during this period. Over these six years, the Lakers have won 50 games once and missed the playoffs twice. The Lakers have just won one Pacific division title while finishing third or worse the other five times.
Granted, Los Angeles won the 2020 NBA title and reached the Western Conference Finals two years ago. But the Lakers have been eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs the other times they made the postseason. They have also recycled through three coaches, with new hire JJ Redick being James’s fourth coach in L.A.
Los Angeles Lakers Have Mostly Struck Out This Offseason But Reportedly Plan To Make A Trade Before Start Of the Season
LA has posted two straight winning seasons, but the Lakers own a .500 record over the last three years. The Lakers, who finished seventh in the West with a 47-35 record, entered the offseason with high hopes after being eliminated by Denver in five games, and James was reportedly willing to take less than the max after opting out. But the Lakers really haven’t done much, though it isn’t because they haven’t tried, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
They struck out with Klay Thompson, were unable to land other impact free agents like Jonas Valančiūnas and DeMar DeRozan, and have failed thus far to find common ground in trade talks with Portland, Brooklyn, Utah, Toronto and Orlando. Now, according to league and team sources, the Lakers are expected to remain patient in their quest to improve their roster.
After striking out, the Lakers’ only move was to re-sign James and Max Christie. They also drafted Dalton Knecht in the first round and Bronny James in the second.
As a result of doing very little to improve the team, Buha said that the Lakers are being “pegged as a Play-In team” by league officials.
What’s clear from Las Vegas, however, is that many in NBA circles believe the Lakers must upgrade their roster to have a chance at a deep playoff run. In polling more than a dozen front-office executives, coaches, scouts and agents attending the NBA Summer League, most pegged the Lakers as a likely Play-In team, with seeds ranging from fifth to 10th in the West. None view the team’s current version as capable of winning a championship.
Knecht has had a solid Summer League campaign through the five games. Knecht, who was better during the Salt Lake City Summer League, compiled 17.6 points and 2.2 3-pointers with a 35.4/34.4/73.1% shooting line. He has scored in double figures five times, topping the 20-point plateau twice while also grabbing 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 steals.
James has been a different story. Not surprisingly, the 19-year-old has struggled, as he has not knocked down a 3-pointer in 15 attempts. He averages 4.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals while shooting 22.6/0.00/50.0%.
Maxwell Lewis and Blake Hinson have also struggled during the summer league. Meanwhile, Colin Castleton has performed well, and Armel Traore has performed solidly. Hinson, Castleton, and Traore are on two-way deals.
Lakers Still Looking To Make Moves
Los Angeles has 15 players on standard contracts, all three two-way spots filled, and is just about $45,000 under the second apron. Being over the second apron makes it harder for teams to make moves, whether through free agency or trades.
Buha said that, given their current situation, the easiest way for the Lakers to improve is by making a consolidation trade.
The most straightforward way the Lakers can add talent is to make a consolidation trade. They can either send out more players than they receive in a deal or salary-dump [Cam] Reddish, [Christian] Wood and/or [Jaxson] Hayes, along with a second-round pick or two, onto a team with roster and financial flexibility. If the Lakers traded two minimum players (Wood, Hayes and Reddish would qualify), they’d have enough room under the second apron to sign a player to the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception. They could also add a player in a trade or sign player(s) to minimum contracts.
Buha added that league sources have told him that the Lakers will likely make this move before the season.
If the Lakers do create some salary space, they will likely look to add a center or two-way wing, as that is their biggest need.
