The Los Angeles Lakers had high hopes of landing a third All-Star player to go along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis this summer with Kawhi Leonard being their primary focus. Unfortunately, Leonard chose to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the Lakers were still able to execute an impressive backup plan.
Acting quickly, general manager Rob Pelinka was able to swoop in and sign Danny Green, DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley, and Troy Daniels while bringing back JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Alex Caruso.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by reporter Denise Jones to break down all of the signings and weigh in on the effectiveness of their moves.
Clearly, an emphasis was placed on defense and three-point shooting, which will be needed in order to provide spacing around James and Davis. The Lakers also got considerably older, targeting veterans that can help the team win now. But did they make the right moves, or should there have been other players that they targeted?
Certainly, Cousins, in particular, could be a bargain on the $3.5 million deal that he received. If he gets anywhere close to being the player he was before injuries set in, he could end up being the most impactful player added to the roster.
Green will also be relied upon to provide the Lakers with a starting-caliber shooting guard and will need to maintain the excellent form after winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors during the 2018-19 NBA season.
Overall, the Lakers did a nice job pivoting from the disappointment of missing on Leonard, now the question becomes what they can do as a team to maximize the talent they have accumulated.