Breaking Down Each Team’s Offseason Priorities
#29 — Los Angeles Lakers
Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll break down what each NBA team needs to do this offseason, working from the worst record in 2015–16 to the best. Today, it’s the Kobe-less LA Lakers. Can you hear that? It’s the sound of Mitch Kupchak breathing a long sigh of relief now that Kobe no longer has his testicles in a vice. It’s time to bring Showtime back to LA, but how big a splash will the Lakers actually make?
Landing a Big Fish in Free Agency
The Lakers have a maximum cap space of over $60 million, but money doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll land a top tier free agent. Reports have Kevin Durant headed to Golden State, San Antonio, or back to OKC before LA. DeMar DeRozan recently claimed that he’s not meeting with anyone but the Raptors. That leaves Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, and Mike Conley as the top free agents in this summer’s class. However, Barnes and Beal are both restricted free agents. If Golden State misses on KD, they’ll match any offer Barnes gets. Washington will likely do the same with any offer Beal receives. Mike Conley could go to LA, but the Grizzlies feel confident he’ll resign with them. So who’s LA going to get?
Hassan Whiteside and the Return of the Lakers Big Man
In case you missed it, Hassan Whiteside is a freak. After bouncing around the international and minor-league scenes, Whiteside broke out in a big way with the Miami Heat two seasons ago, and averaged 14 PPG, 12 RPG, and 4 BPG last season. His only downside is his attitude, which gets him into trouble some games. There have even been some instances in which Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have had to scream at Whiteside on the court to chill before situations escalated. Still, the guy is bound to get max offers from multiple teams, and the Lakers will certainly be one. With the newly drafted Brandon Ingram in the fold and D’Angelo Russell still on the roster (I’ll address this issue soon), the Lakers have some budding star potential. Add in Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson (another guy I’ll address soon), and LA has a solid core to work with. What’s missing? Whiteside.
In today’s NBA, Whiteside is a prototypical Center. He’s serviceable as a low-post scorer, but his real strength lies in his shot-blocking, rebounding, length, and athleticism. The days of Centers catching the ball in the post, working around a bit, and getting a high percentage two-pointer are all but gone. In an NBA that is increasingly trending toward shooting-heavy lineups, Centers really need to patrol the paint on defense, grab rebounds off the glass, and jump out of the gym to catch lob passes for easy dunks. Whiteside ticks all these boxes.
The Heat will likely offer Whiteside the keys to the castle — I predict a Pat Riley meeting that hits a “take the torch from D-Wade” note, and plenty of “Isn’t Miami a great town?” type of talk, and of course a massive, massive check. Still, Miami simply isn’t the LA market, and the Lakers can always roll out the “Be the next great Lakers big man” talk. If Whiteside wants a change of scenery, he’s going to the Lakers. If he wants to win now, he’s staying with the Heat. If he wants to be the centerpiece of a future dynasty, it’s LA. If he thinks Miami can actually land KD, then South Beach it is. It’s tough to say which way he’ll go, but he should certainly be the Lakers' top offseason priority, given that KD isn’t likely to don the purple and gold on a still-rebuilding Lakers squad.
Don’t Be Stupid — Keep D’Angelo “What About Amber Rose, You Ain’t Never Tried?” Russell
We all know what D’Angelo Russell did this past season, and it was awful. Enough with this “bro code” talk — anyone who films someone else discussing private matters is immature, and just plain shitty. The crazy thing is that Byron Scott talked about D’Angelo’s maturity issues early in the year when the LA media was criticizing Scott for not playing the rookie enough. Turns out Scott might’ve made the right coaching decision after all — a very, very rare occurrence for him.
With that being said, Russell is still an incredible prospect, and the recent talk about the Lakers trading him is just dumb. Why ship out a number 2 overall pick over a viral cellphone video, especially when the upset party is Nick Young, a guy who tallies more games wearing Yeezy’s than games making big plays? New head coach Luke Walton should have a team meeting, and essentially tell everybody that this is a new year, and all is forgiven. If that doesn’t seem to work during training camp, then LA should ship Young and anybody else who still has a problem with Russell — D’Angelo’s worth more than them anyway. Walton should be able to tame Russell, given that he’s a former player but still young himself. The fact that Brandon Ingram is now looked at as “the guy” in LA should inherently humble Russell a bit as well. Lakers fans will forget all about the cell phone video when Russell is torching opponents for 30 and running in transition with Ingram.
Resign Jordan Clarkson
With all the Kobe Retirement Tour hoopla last year, you might’ve missed the fact that Jordan Clarkson improved on his impressive rookie year by averaging 15 PPG and 4 APG on 43% from the field and 35% from three-point range. Now, those aren’t stellar numbers, but they’re solid and trending upward. Clarkson is still young at 24, and he could fit nicely between Russell and Ingram for the next ten years. If LA can swing the Whiteside signing, the Lakers could take the “Lob City” moniker from their Staples Center roommates — Clarkson is one the best dunkers in the league and Whiteside isn’t too bad himself.
Go Get a Stretch 4
Whether they land Whiteside or not, the Lakers need a stretch 4, and they have the money to get one this summer. The best available are Al Horford, Ryan Anderson, Dirk Nowitzki, Mirza Teletovic, and Marvin Williams. Horford isn’t the most mobile of 4’s, and he’s probably more of a stretch 5. Dirk is likely staying with the Mavs, and Teletovic and Williams aren’t quite up to the caliber LA will be shopping for. That leaves Anderson. Anderson has career averages of 13 PPG and 6 RPG, while shooting 38% from three. As a Magic fan who watched plenty of Anderson games, I can tell you that he’s an extremely tough player who rebounds with tenacity and seemingly always hits the three when your team needs it. He’s 28, which means he’s old enough to lead LA’s young guys, and young enough to grow with them. LA should offer him as much as it takes. As Stan Van Gundy once said, “You give a guy whatever it takes to get him, and if you win, he’s worth it” (or something like that).
The Return of Showtime
The Lakers are still a few years away from contending for a title, but this offseason could set them up for years to come. If they build around their young core, and add a star-caliber guy like Whiteside, then they’ll be the front runners for Russell Westbrook in the summer of 2017. And depending on what happens with KD this summer, they might even land him next year with Westbrook. Either way, Lakers fans will get to see plenty of fast breaks, threes, and young guns this year. There’s plenty of reason for optimism in La La Land.
