The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a slow start during the off-season. As expected, many rumors continue to circulate regarding certain trade targets for the purple and gold. The Lakers finished the season with a 47-35 record and were eliminated in the first round by the Denver Nuggets. Although they won the first inaugural in-season tournament, an unsuccessful year prompted the Lakers with making a rapid decision in firing Darvin Ham. With the new acquisition of head coach JJ Redick, there is still noise surrounding potential role players that the Lakers could add.
Lakers Offseason & Potential Trade Targets
Evaluating the Off-Season
Lakers rumors continue to circulate even as the team has mostly stayed put. The Lakers are sitting in August without any significant moves throughout this offseason. The lack of urgency from the Lakers front office can come with some explanation as to why they are taking things slow. The team’s limited cap space did not allow the Lakers to make any big free agency signings. In the 2022-23 season, they made a big trade at the deadline to acquire D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt. Those two players would play lare roles into the success that saw Los Angeles go all the way to the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. It seems as if the Lakers organization is trusting the core that they have built over the past several years that has had some success.
New Lakers Head Coach
The Lakers officially announce Nate McMillan, Scott Brooks, Bob Beyer, Greg St. Jean, Lindsey Harding and Beau Levesque as assistant coaches on JJ Redick’s staff. They have also added Michael Wexler as head video coordinator. pic.twitter.com/iew03GTUYy
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) August 5, 2024
One area to shine light on is the acquisition of new head coach JJ Redick. With every new head coaching hire comes optimism with the fanbase. Redick has not coached at any high level of basketball, but he played in the NBA for 15 years and has previously worked as an NBA analyst with ESPN. Through his knowledge and experience in the NBA, there’s high hopes that this hiring could work out great for the purple and gold.
2024 NBA Draft Picks By Lakers
In the 2024 NBA draft, the Lakers had two selections. Promising rookie Dalton Knecht wasn’t on the Lakers radar, as he was expected to be selected before Los Angeles picked. He fell to the 17th pick, and many view him as a steal for the Lakers. In the second round, they selected the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James in Bronny James. Knecht has shown his shooting ability and scoring versatility in college and in Summer League. Bronny has shown spurts of excellent defense, energy and a unique dynamic to the team. While both of these rookies have shown their potential in the Summer League, it is unclear how much impact they will have as rookies.
Potential Trade Targets
Report; Lakers Tried To Trade For Jerami Grant, Kyle Kuzma, Bruce Brown, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Wendell Carter Jr. https://t.co/UpyY2omKJG
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) August 6, 2024
Cameron Johnson
Small forward Cam Johnson has been with the Brooklyn Nets since being traded from the Phoenix Suns in 2023. Johnson has been a solid all-around role player averaging 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He shot 39.1% from three-point territory last season. The Lakers would love more outside shooting, and Johnson could help in that aspect.
Bruce Brown
Toronto Raptors versatile guard Bruce Brown has also caught the attention of the Lakers. Brown, who won a championship with the Nuggets and has played for the Pacers and Raptors since, brings a defensive prowess and versatility on both ends of the floor. Lakers could use a versatile player that is reminiscent of Alex Caruso during the successful 2020 championship run that the Lakers had. Brown averaged 10.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists shooting 47.8% from the field last season.
Last Word On Lakers Off-Season
Despite a slow start to the offseason, there are still time for Los Angeles to improve upon the roster. The team’s front office is taking a slow and patient approach before making any change towards their roster. The upcoming season is going to be a competitive battle with a strong Western Conference. With a new head coach, new rookies, and perhaps a potential trade, the team hasn’t completely stayed the same. The patient approach seems to be a smart way in strategically evaluating the current roster and making the right moves in order to get back to championship contention.
