The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly better than last year, although that isn’t exactly the most eye-opening statement considering the team is 10th in the Western Conference and under .500 in terms of the team record. Luckily, the Lakers found a way to move Russell Westbrook and somehow come close to a .500 record with new pieces such as D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt playing important roles after the trade deadline. Unfortunately, LeBron James’ intense run to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the all-time scoring record has taken a toll on The King as he is currently injured for at least another few weeks.
If LeBron comes back, the Lakers can push for a chance to go as far as they can in the playoffs, but even so, it is very likely the team does not win an NBA championship. Remember, making the play-in tournament is the goal for the Lakers, and that won’t be enough to give them momentum as they enter the playoffs. Assuming Los Angeles does crash out in the postseason and doesn’t win a title for the third straight year since 2020, it could be a very fascinating summer for them. Remember, the Lakers have an excellent cap space situation entering into the summer as they have space for adding a legitimate superstar.
The Lakers might have a chance to correct all the past seasons’ wrongs including missing out on stars such as DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and adding Russell Westbrook to reload with three different lineups. With so much flexibility in the summer, the Lakers find themselves in three excellent scenarios which include retaining their current starting lineup or trading for one of two elite superstar guards. It won’t be easy for Los Angeles to choose which option is best, although their decision might come down to what presents itself earliest. Here are the three best scenarios for the Lakers this summer.
Scenario No. 3 – Run It Back
The Los Angeles Lakers might be wise to run it back with the same squad, and reports are coming out that they absolutely might. Remember, based on the Lakers’ salary cap situation, they have some maneuvering. For one, the team has D’Angelo Russell, Lonnie Walker, Dennis Schroder, and Austin Reaves as key players in the rotation as free agents. The Lakers also have Malik Beasley and Rui Hachimura on team options ($16.5M and $8.5M respectively) which gives the side some room. Russell is the best player out of the bunch, and he could be re-signed to a long-term deal as he is only 27 years old and is posting 17.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 6.2 APG this season on 46.3% FG, 39.0% 3-PT FG, and 85.4% FT. Those shooting numbers work in the Lakers’ offense, and the team would be wise to bring him back.
Beasley and Hachimura’s deals are quite good on the salary cap, which is expected to rise to $162 million on a tax level next year. Beasley is nailing 37.8% of his threes for his career, so he is a marksman that can help the Lakers challenge, while Hachimura is a two-way forward who brings size and scoring (11.7 PPG in 2023). Otherwise, the Lakers can re-sign Lonnie Walker and Dennis Schroder to team-friendly deals while offering a long-term deal worth $50 million for Austin Reaves. The Lakers and Reaves are interested in negotiating a deal for the long term, and the player could see an uptick in production next season as he continues to gain experience in the NBA. Not to mention, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba are under contract for next year so that adds even more pieces. With this much depth coming back and all the players happy with their money around LeBron and Davis, watch out for the Lakers in the Western Conference.
As such, the starting lineup becomes D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, with Reaves, Hachimura, Walker, and Schroder playing roles off the bench. Based on the Lakers’ record after the trade deadline (which has also included The King missing time through injury) is 10-6, the team could be ultra-competitive as-is next season with LeBron and Davis healthy.