Once the Los Angeles Lakers decide on who their next head coach will be, they will have some significant decisions to make when it comes to their roster.
Up to several of their key players could or will become free agents this summer, and they will have to figure out how to upgrade a roster that looked very good for long stretches but was ultimately not good enough to contend for the NBA championship.
For the last few months, there has been lots of speculation that the Lakers will try to trade for a third star this offseason. The Athletic beat writer Jovan Buha affirmed this while saying they will be “aggressive” and “active” in dangling draft picks in order to become a championship-caliber team again (h/t Lakers Daily).
“Yes — the answer is yes,” Buha said in response to a question asking if the Lakers will look to trade their first-round pick. “The Lakers are going to look to move that No. 17 pick on draft night. It will be the first time that they could use all three of their tradable first-round picks.
“And it’s a prime opportunity for them to potentially get either a third star or to improve the roster by attaching one or two or three of those picks alongside players under contract to upgrade the starting lineup or the bench. But it’s the first time they’ll have more than one pick at their disposal. And my understanding is that they are going to be aggressive. And they’re going to be active. And they’re going to try and use that.”
Among L.A.’s rumored targets this summer are Trae Young and Donovan Mitchell. Such a player could help LeBron James trim his workload and also reduce his minutes as he shuffles closer to the end of his career.
James continued to play at a very high level this season, but he can only be the best player on the floor in spurts, and his defense is virtually non-existent most of the time.
The amount of talent across the NBA, not to mention the quality of play, is seemingly at an all-time high right now. Los Angeles needs to adjust and raise its talent level if it is to earn its 18th world championship anytime soon.
