There have been a lot of discussions this offseason about the direction of the Los Angeles Lakers. After a disastrous 2021-22 NBA season, in which they missed the postseason with a 33-49 record despite having championship aspirations coming into the season, it is anyone’s guess what direction the team will head in.

As long as LeBron James is on the roster, the aim will be to win championships. He isn’t going to be part of a rebuild and Rob Pelinka will be tasked with upgrading the roster back to becoming contenders.

Turning things around in one offseason, especially with how poorly things went last season, is a tall task. Los Angeles doesn’t have many assets to upgrade the roster with as they lack tradable players and draft capital. Not to mention, they will have a first-time head coach in Darvin Ham at the helm, as he is taking over for Frank Vogel, who lasted three seasons as head coach.

Unless something drastic changes between now and the regular season, this could very well be another underwhelming season for the purple and gold. They need to find a way to move Russell Westbrook, but that is easier said than done.

No teams are lining up to acquire him. Some trade discussions have been held, but negotiations don’t get very far because teams are asking the Lakers to include not one, but two first-round picks in the deal. That is a steep asking price, but for a team looking to contend with LeBron James in the mix, it is something they should seriously consider.

It was only two years ago that the Lakers won a championship with James and Anthony Davis as the focal point of the team and strong role players around them. That is a tried and true formula for success with James-led teams. Getting back to that, if possible, would make sense.