The Los Angeles Lakers are among the most polarizing teams entering the season after an eventful NBA offseason. Losing LeBron James was the biggest story, but the risks made to improve the roster will be what determines success or failure. The Lakers went all in on Walker Kessler as the third star on the roster and various role players to provide depth.
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst revealed that he believes the Lakers having too many long contracts is their biggest issue:
“All the role players on their whole roster, okay, if they all had one year less on their contracts, you would look at them completely differently. I know that’s a big if, but, like, if Jarred Vanderbilt didn’t have the player option and he was just an expiring $12 million contract, that’s something you could do something with.
If Collin Sexton just had the one-year, $9 million deal, he’s hugely incentivized to play well this year. And Vanderbilt and Sexton together are $21 million. You know, if Grimes is on a three-year deal instead of four, if Mamu is on a three-year deal instead of four.”
The overall point made by Windhorst is that the Lakers have little to no flexibility after these moves. Rob Pelinka sacrificed the last two valuable draft picks to add the center that Luka Doncic wanted. However, it was the other contracts like Quentin Grimes and Sexton that Windhorst questioned.
Why Windhorst Dislikes Collin Sexton Lakers Deal
Sexton is already one of the big talking points since many fans felt the Lakers should have used that money to add another forward. The guard depth is strong with Doncic and Austin Reaves each expected to play 35+ minutes per night.
However, it is hard to trust the forward positions after losing both LeBron and Rui Hachimura in free agency. Both of last season’s starting forwards are gone with flawed options replacing them.
Sexton signing a two-year deal will see him likely taking the player option to remain in Los Angeles for next season, regardless of the results. Windhorst believes the Lakers should have used that money elsewhere, and that Sexton should have been a one-year contract. The Chicago Bulls were content letting Sexton walk with only a few teams interested.
Can The Lakers Improve This Roster?
Players like Sexton and Grimes are not good enough to decide a team’s season, but they can make up the difference in certain areas. Windhorst questioned why the Lakers gave up all flexibility to invest in these names while the West is run by the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.
No players on the current roster have great trade value except for Reaves and Doncic. No team will give up a valuable player or first round pick for young talents like Bronny James or Dalton Knecht.
Kessler suffering another injury would make him one of the worst contracts in the league. Players like Vanderbilt and Jake LaRavia will be hard to trade if they’re not contributing to winning. The Lakers will either thrive with the current roster or watch it fail badly with little chances of improvement.
NBA Insider Reveals Major Lakers Collin Sexton Problem