Getty Los Angeles Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to shake up their roster, but there are plenty of hurdles that could prevent the team from making a major move this offseason. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers have tried to trade Kyle Kuzma and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to “almost every team” but the return is unlikely to be significant.
“They traded for him [Dennis Schroder] from Oklahoma City a year ago with the idea that they would re-sign him, and as you said, they cannot replace him if he leaves,” Wojnarowski explained on The Woj and Lowe Draft Special. “They have literally offered Kyle Kuzma and KCP to almost [every team]. Every team I’ve talked to in the league has been offered some combination of Kuz and KCP. Sometimes both of them, one of them, and that’s not going to get them back a point guard of Dennis’ stature.”
Woj Mentioned Rubio as a Potential Option for the Lakers
Wojnarowski mentioned Timberwolves starting point guard Ricky Rubio as a potential option for the Lakers this offseason. Rubio averaged 8.6 points, 6.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 30.8% from behind the three-point line. It is not quite the production that many Lakers fans are hoping to find from the team’s next acquisition. Ultimately, this is part of the reason Wojnarwoski feels Dennis Schroder is destined to re-sign with the Lakers in free agency.
“Listen, he’s got options, again, Chicago and New York,” Wojnarowski added. “I still think in the end there’s a deal to be made for him [Schroder] to stay with the Lakers. Because, all of the sudden, now you’re talking about, ‘could we go get Ricky Rubio?’ Like, some good players, but I still think Schroder is a player who moves the needle and let’s get him out of a COVID season, get him back with a training camp with this team, and it’s probably going to look at a lot different.”
Woj Predicts Schroder Will Return to the Lakers
There has been growing buzz that Schroder could leave the Lakers in free agency after turning down the team’s contract extension offer during last season. NBA insider Marc Stein suggested the Lakers appear to be moving on from Schroder, but Wojnarowski believes the two parties are destined to reach a new deal.
“As you said, Schroder turned down that four-year, $84 million extension, which was the most the Lakers could offer him during the season,” Wojnarowski explained. “Knowing that there was more out for him in free agency, and you have teams like Chicago and New York with cap space. New Orleans trying to create the cap space to have to go get a big point guard. Perhaps Dallas [is] in that mix, but listen, I think people have to look back at this postseason with Dennis Schroder and remember he had COVID late in the year and was out for 10 days and not in the gym and sick and then showed up and played in the playoffs. The performance wasn’t there, but we saw plenty of other players in the league who went through that at different points in the year.”