There is no doubt that some changes are coming to the Los Angeles Lakers roster this offseason. Assuming LeBron James returns for another season next to Anthony Davis, the franchise still has that excellent foundation of two superstars and now Rob Pelinka and the front office will have to figure out the right moves to make to make the team a true championship contender.
What type of move will accomplish that goal is unclear, however. One could argue that the Lakers should look to add a third star who can help now while also taking on a bigger role once LeBron retires. Others would argue that upgrading the supporting cast around LeBron and Davis is the better move as teams with great depth have thrived throughout these playoffs.
It seems as if Pelinka and the front office staff are leaning towards the latter as, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers are more likely to upgrade the role players as opposed to adding a third star:
“As far as what I think the Lakers are going to do, my sense is they are leaning more toward upgrading the supporting cast rather than the three-star model and I say that for a couple reasons. One, it’s difficult to trade for a star. There’s going to be a lot of competition this offseason, so I think if a star is willing to demand a trade and say that they only want to go to the Lakers or make it a very short list where the Lakers have the assets to compete with the teams on that list then, sure, I think the Lakers can land that type of star. But there’s also a lot of uncertainty right now where we don’t know which star is going to be available in Cleveland, is Donovan Mitchell going to accept that extension and then Darius Garland is the one asking out, or is Donovan Mitchell going to reject the extension offer and all of a sudden he is available? We don’t know which star guard is going to be available in Atlanta. We don’t know if there’s going to be another star that becomes available. Is Mikal Bridges available in Brooklyn? There’s still a lot of uncertainty as of right now in terms of which stars are actually going to be available closer to the draft and free agency when the Lakers would be potentially looking to make a big, splashy trade.”
As Buha points out, the actual market for stars this offseason is unclear. Donovan Mitchell seems likely to remain in Cleveland and which of Trae Young or Dejounte Murray will be available is also unknown. Not to mention, there are teams armed with more assets than the Lakers so they could easily be outbid.
Pelinka and the front office looking towards a top 3-and-D wing, a physical, rim-protecting big man, or a reliable, facilitating point guard could do more to lift the Lakers as a whole. The playoffs have seen the likes of PJ Washington, Derrick White, Josh Hart, Daniel Gafford and TJ McConnell make huge impacts for their respective teams.
The offseason has yet to really get started, but the Lakers seem to be getting their plans together to make a splash this summer.
Lakers eyeing point guard Kyle Lowry in free agency?
One of those types of role players who could have that kind of impact is veteran point guard Kyle Lowry. An NBA Champion, Lowry brings toughness, physicality and timely shooting and the Lakers may have their eye on him as a free agent this offseason.
A rumor listed the Lakers as one of many teams who could make a minimum offer to Lowry in free agency this summer. Lowry appeared in 60 games with the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers this past season, averaging 8.1 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range.
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