The Los Angeles Lakers made a lot of changes to the roster in the offseason. LeBron James decided to leave Los Angeles after eight seasons with the organization. After that was decided, Los Angeles decided to remake their complete roster.
Rob Pelinka decided to make a massive sign-and-trade to bring in Walker Kessler. The Lakers also added Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton in expensive deals. Now, the Lakers are hard-capped at the first apron with their new roster.
One pundit thinks that their offseason decisions were not good enough for them to be considered title contenders.
GettyChicago Bulls guard Collin Sexton dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Lakers Receive C+ Grade for Offseason Moves
Zach Kram of ESPN gave the Lakers a C+ grade for the players they added this offseason. He believes that these moves didn’t make them better; they made them about the same.
“The Lakers might have been the busiest team of the summer. But did all that activity make them better, or were they merely running in place? Put another way: Of the top seven Lakers in playoff minutes this spring, the newly extended Reaves is the only player still on the roster. He, Doncic and Kessler form a strong three-man core. But the Lakers now have one of the NBA’s weakest forward groups, a glaring hole at backup center and almost no remaining draft assets to trade after giving up a haul for Kessler, who has never really played a meaningful NBA game,” Kram wrote.
How well Kessler plays will largely determine the outlook on this free agency in the next few years. He is the biggest piece that they added. He was given a four-year, $130 million contract while he has only played 63 games in the last two seasons.
The Lakers are still trying to figure out the best rotation with their new guys, but Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are still the engine that will make the offense go. Keeping those two players healthy will be the biggest priority for the team next season.
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walker poses for a photo. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Los Angeles Will Have a Wealth of Distractions This Season
Off the court, the Lakers have a lot of distractions surrounding the organization. A lot of it surrounds the impending sale of the team from Mark Walker. The Jeanie Buss situation is also an unwanted distraction as she tries to remain the team’s governor moving forward.
At this point, it’s unclear what the pending sale of the team will mean for the players on the court. Pelinka could find himself without a job, depending on what Bob Iger and Josh Kushner think is best for the team. If Buss is no longer governor, that possibility increases.
The Lakers are hoping that the team they put on the court distracts from what happens in the courtroom. That is what puts a lot of pressure on this current unit to perform.
Lakers Receive Middling Offseason Grade for Major Moves