The Los Angeles Lakers had a busy offseason, but it didn’t result in any major changes to their roster. They made headlines by hiring JJ Redick, a former player and media personality with no coaching experience, as the new head coach after firing Darvin Ham. Additionally, they drafted Bronny James in the second round of the NBA draft, making him and his father LeBron James the league’s first father-son duo. However, neither Redick nor James bring proven veteran experience to the team.
Surprisingly, the Lakers did not add any established NBA players to their roster this offseason. Instead, they replaced two veterans with two rookies. They have yet to make any significant moves that would open up an extra roster spot by trading away a bench player.
If the Lakers want to make a substantial addition to their team, they will likely have to trade one of their future first-round picks. General manager Rob Pelinka has expressed willingness in the past to do so under certain circumstances but did not come close to making such a trade this summer.
Pelinka mentioned at a press conference that he would consider trading one pick for an upgrade but emphasized that both picks would require “sustainable Lakers excellence.” This suggests that youth is an important factor for them moving forward.
The Lakers are known for measuring success in terms of championships and are currently looking for ways to become true contenders again after two seasons of Play-In Tournament status. It’s likely that they are holding onto their assets in order to trade for a star player like Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young.
However, there are complications due to new restrictions introduced by the collective bargaining agreement. The Lakers cannot absorb more salary than they send out in any trade and face difficulties when aggregating salaries due to financial constraints.
For now, it seems like the Lakers are content with continuity and will evaluate potential deals as the season progresses before making any moves.
