The Los Angeles Lakers added a lot of new players this offseason. After being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs, they decided to overhaul the roster. They will have three new starters next season.
Not only that, but the bench will look significantly different. According to Bleacher Report, those changes were not all good. In fact, they rated the Lakers as having one of the worst contract situations in the NBA.
Lakers Rated as Having Fourth-Worst Contract Situation in the NBA
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Lakers have the fourth-worst contract situation in the league. He cites the large sum of money they are paying Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler as a big reason why the situation is so bleak.
“The Los Angeles Lakers need the trio of Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler to work, after going all-in this summer by paying Reaves a near-max four-year deal and sending their remaining draft capital to acquire Walker Kessler in a trade with the Utah Jazz,” Pincus wrote.
Pincus also notes that the Kessler trade has drained all of the trade assets they had, leaving little room for future improvement.
“The team has just one first-round swap available to offer—outside of trading low-value additional swaps on previously swapped picks. The team has only three second-round selections available—two from the Washington Wizards, both starting in 2031—which may help smaller deals get done, but may not help land a needle-mover,” Pincus notes.
Taking a swing on Kessler could be the defining moment of Rob Pelinka’s tenure with new ownership. With Bob Iger and Jared Kushner coming in, Pelinka’s job security is not guaranteed. If this move doesn’t work out, Pelinka could end up looking for another job.
The Lakers Need to Show Vast Improvement Next Season
LeBron James decided that he did not want to play for Los Angeles anymore after playing the last eight seasons with the team. It was more of a mutual parting of ways, as the Lakers had already started building a team around Doncic. Still, the team must show vast improvement.
Last season, the Lakers had the 11th-worst defense in the league. The big reason why they decided to make the move to bring Kessler in is to fix that defense. He is one of the best shot-blockers in the league when he is healthy. He played just five games last season due to a shoulder injury.
Figuring out a way to keep the team healthy is going to be key for this team, as well. Neither Doncic nor Reaves were healthy for most of the playoffs a year ago. Doncic missed the entire postseason, and this team still goes as far as he can take them.
The team the Lakers have right now is the team they will have for the foreseeable future.
Lakers’ Contract Situation Seen as one of the Worst in the NBA