Los Angeles Lakers Offseason Outlook
From 2–10 to the Western Conference Finals
Moments after the final buzzer signaled the end of the Lakers’ season, LeBron James delivered cryptic remarks to end his postgame press conference.
“I got a lot to think about, to be honest,” he told reporters. “Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.”
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg in a long Laker offseason.
After a year full of trials and tribulations, which included a trade deadline turnaround that saved their season, the Los Angeles Lakers went where many thought they’d never go: the Western Conference Finals. Despite being swept by the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in relatively close contests, the Lakers have plenty to build upon and a season to be proud of.
Prominent players reacted to the sweep in their respective postgame press conferences:
LeBron’s Future with the Lakers
LeBron James capped off year 20 by playing all but four seconds in game 4, finishing with 40 points (including 31 in the first half). Though many believed his return to the team was a done deal, that may not be the case after all, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and NBA insider Chris Haynes:
This comes after a historic season where James became the league’s all-time leading scorer and all-time leading playoff scorer, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan for those marks, respectively. It also comes while he was dealing with a foot tendon injury from February that would reportedly require surgery.
“I’m going to get an MRI on it and see how the tendon either healed or not healed and go from there. We’ll see what happens,” James told ESPN on Monday.
All of the rumors around his retirement contradict James’s aspirations of playing with his son, USC-bound Bronny, when he is draft eligible in 2024. Now, in the wake of these talks, James’s stance has shifted.
He appears to be leaning toward a similar approach to Carmelo Anthony, who announced his retirement Monday morning and said that his son Kiyan would carry the torch.
Though it is extremely early to speculate on a LeBron-less future for the Lakers, who would likely build around Anthony Davis and the core created post-deadline if it happens, it leaves many fans — Lakers or otherwise — scratching their heads about what the league could look like next season if one of the greats decides to ride off into the sunset.
It also led to scenarios such as this going viral:
Key Free Agents
Aside from James, there are other concerns the team must manage — mainly figuring out how to retain over half of their current roster.
D’Angelo Russell, who had an up-and-down second stint with the LakeShow, is one of their biggest priorities. Though he made $30 million on the last season of his deal, he proved that he meshes well with the superstar duo despite the various growing pains of his game, from unavailability in the regular season to inconsistency in the playoffs. During LA’s postseason run (16 games — 15 starts), the 27-year-old averaged 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 42–31–77 splits.
The Lakers have repeatedly been linked to Kyrie Irving and are now reportedly looking at Fred VanVleet. However, depending on the Raptors’ plans and given Irving’s tumultuous tenure on and off the floor, it’d seem fitting to re-sign Russell if James and Davis approve. It all comes down to the numbers.
Equally important is the status of Austin Reaves, who broke out and became one of the Lakers’ best players this postseason. After a playoff debut that saw the 24-year-old average 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game — including 21.3 PPG and 5.3 APG against the Nuggets — there are reports he could only be offered a four-year, $51 million deal by the Lakers, who can match any other offer even if it is higher. By the looks of it, the Lakers do not want to have another Alex Caruso situation on their hands, so re-signing the fan-favorite guard who steps up in big moments is paramount for the franchise.
Speaking of young players who impacted the playoffs, Rui Hachimura deserves to be brought back along with Reaves. Thankfully, the Lakers are “determined” to do that. The 25-year-old forward averaged 12.2 points on 55–48–88 splits for the Lakers in the postseason, primarily off the bench, and was a key factor in Darvin Ham’s rotation. With his talent on both ends of the floor and willingness to step up, it’s a no-brainer to re-sign Rui.
The Lakers also have players such as Malik Beasley, who has a $16 million Team Option for next year, or Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba, whose salaries for next season are currently not guaranteed. Beasley, though a respected three-point marksman, was underwhelming in his first season as a Laker, and he could be replaced with another shooter on a cheaper deal. Vanderbilt and Bamba, on the other hand, are both two-way players who add to the team’s frontcourt depth, and they should be brought back accordingly. The same goes for Wenyen Gabriel, a young big man whose energy was huge in spurts off the bench.
Finally, Dennis Schröder and Troy Brown Jr., who played on minimum salaries this season, could and should return on similar, team-friendly deals given their positive impacts throughout the year. Brown, who averaged 7.1 points per game on 43–48–87 splits in the regular season, was productive when the team was hampered with injuries to James and Davis. Schröder, despite his issues as a small guard, was clutch in key moments and served well as an on-ball defender on the opponents’ best players. In 26 minuts per game in the playoffs, he averaged 7.4 points, 1.9 assists and two steals per game on 40–33–82 splits.
Though LeBron’s future with the Lakers is uncertain as of now, the team can still capitalize on opportunities by retaining their rotational players and ensuring the team stays afloat with or without their leader.
The Lakers will no doubt have a remarkably busy offseason, from having to re-sign many of their rotational players to ensuring their superstars recover from a grueling season. Despite the end result, it’s still an exciting time for the purple and gold, as they have more chances to build on recent success and chase banner #18.
For now, though, their players and coaches can relax, knowing the beaches of Cancun have already been warmed up by the Grizzlies, Warriors, Clippers, Suns, and Kings.
