There are more questions than answers for the Los Angeles Lakers this coming off-season. The team was considered a championship favorite after acquiring Russell Westbrook to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Instead, it was not only one of the worst seasons in Lakers history but in NBA history. The team finished 33-49 and did not even qualify for the play-in tournament. After winning the championship in 2020 to not making the playoffs in 2022, the franchise is looking for answers.
The Lakers fired Frank Vogel, their former head coach, immediately after the season ended and hired former Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham, who was also the Lakers assistant coach from 2011-2013. The Lakers are hoping Ham can change the culture and bring a team philosophy approach to the squad that was clearly lacking that a season ago. More importantly, the roster needs an upgrade. Let’s go over on how the Lakers can give themselves a chance to compete next season.
First move they should make is to try and trade Russell Westbrook. The trade last summer to acquire him by getting rid of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and a 1st round pick was clearly a mistake and they have to see how they can make up for it. Westbrook was not a great fit next to LeBron James.
He’s no doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he just does not fit the team at all. Granted Davis was injured but the whole point of bringing Westbrook on was in hopes that he can keep the team afloat if Davis or James got injured and that didn’t happen. He’s a liability from the perimeter and teams often leave him open which allow teams to crowd James in the paint and they don’t get a quality possession. He’s also not a good defender which isn’t ideal.
There’s been trades that have been thrown out there, but one that makes the most sense for the Lakers is Russell Westbrook to the Charlotte Hornets for Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward. The Hornets take on an expiring $47 million and will have cap space the following year, while the Lakers get 2 players who can space the floor and create their own shot.
Hayward is considered overpaid at $30 million per year and extremely injury prone but if healthy, can be an offensive spark for the Lakers. Averaging 15.9 on 46% shooting and 39% from 3 in 49 games. Rozier is a combo guard that can get buckets in many different ways. He’s projected to make $21 million next year. Last season, he averaged 19.3 on 44% shooting and 37% from behind the arc.
The Lakers next move should be prioritizing youth. The Lakers’ signings of Kent Bazemore, DeAndre Jordan, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, and Wayne Ellington was not a successful one. They are all older players who were once great that made the team more offensively and defensively challenged. Asking all of those guys to play high energy for an 82 game season wasn’t the best idea.
They should target some younger guys and wing defenders for the MLE and vet minimum. Players that are free agents that the Lakers should target are Otto Porter Jr, Collin Sexton, Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Gary Harris, Delon Wright, Victor Oladipo, TJ Warren. Not big names but ones that have intangibles that the Lakers desperately need. They should even consider taking a flier on guys like DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, and Ricky Rubio.
Regardless of what happens, this will be an interesting summer and the Lakers will still be must see TV.
