The Los Angeles Lakers were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in which it ends their hopes of repeating as NBA Champions. Now which direction will the Lakers go this offseason?
Anthony Davis and LeBron James will be back with the team next season and wander if both stars will be far healthy. Its obvious that durability will be a problem for Davis throughout his career and James no longer can carry a team like he used to after 18 NBA seasons.
If Los Angeles wants to get back on top next season, Rob Pelinka needs to make significant changes in the summer. The Lakers acquired Dennis Schroder. He was supposed to provide playmaking and athleticism, taking some pressure off LeBron. Schroder is now coming off a poor performance in the NBA Playoffs, which will likely cost him millions. When he missed all nine of his shots in Game 5, he became the first Lakers’ player to not score on nine plus attempts in a playoff game since the franchise moved to Los Angeles.
There will still be a market for Schroeder. He was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, averaging 18.9 points per game. A sign-and-trade will be the best route for the Lakers to bring in more talent.
Los Angeles made Kyle Kuzma untouchable during negotiations for the Anthony Davis trade. While he has made an impact at times, the Lakers now feel quite differently about Kuzma. The Lakers made an attempt to trade him around the league before the trade deadline. While a deal never came through, the Lakers recognized that it might be time to move on from Kuzma.
He shot 23.5 percent from the field against the Phoenix Suns, he struggled defensively and really look bad when Davis was sidelined. His trade value has gone down significantly from a few years ago, but he is still a piece that Los Angeles could use this summer to change the roster.
They may consider Kyle Lowry a 35 year old NBA veteran who is headed for free agency this offseason. But Toronto might want to get something back for him via sign-and-trade, opening the door for the Lakers and other clubs to get involved. The Lakers can include Schroder, providing the Raptors with another guard, to help the financial side of the deal line up.
Lowry would provide many of the things the Lakers need. He is a capable playmaker, averaging 7.3 assists per game this past season and he shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. Paired with his defense and ability to create shots, he might be an ideal fit with Davis and LeBron.
Also they can consider a Demar DeRozan a 31 year old combo who can help provide scoring to the Lakers or Norman Powell from the Raptors who average 18.6 points per game this season. They are a lot of scoring guards who are free agents and the Lakers will need to consider this summer.
