The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into another pivotal offseason, following a first-round exit at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. As per team insider Jovan Buha, there are two routes the Lakers can go in this summer.
The first path involves making minor trades that would be big enough in the big picture, with Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell being on their way out.
The second involves acquiring a third superstar to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The three names that Buha has heard being mentioned are Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, and Trae Young. He added that if they make a move for Young, it would be on draft night.
A potential roadblock on both these routes is Russell’s player option. The 28-year-old has an option worth $18.7 million for 2024-25 and it is believed he will opt out and hold leverage. The Lakers want him to opt in so they can trade him.
Teams like the Orlando Magic and the San Antonio Spurs are the ones that make the most sense for Russell, both financially and in terms of fit. So, it will be interesting to see what happens with him in the coming months.
It’s hard to say which route the Lakers should go in at this point, as you can see the pros with both. If they make some minor moves to bring in some size and a reliable scoring option off the bench, that would help a lot.
On the flip side, another star who can score at a high rate and maybe even do some playmaking would help. What we saw in these playoffs against the Nuggets, was Anthony Davis being a non-factor from an offensive standpoint in the fourth quarter.
Davis expends so much energy on the defensive end, that he just doesn’t have enough gas left in the tank to score consistently late in the game. Someone like Irving, Mitchell, or Young would help matters in that regard. The issue then, however, would be losing some of that depth the Lakers have and risking being a bit too top-heavy.
I think if they were getting in Irving, it would be the best move but I don’t see him leaving the Dallas Mavericks at this point. Irving and the Mavericks got on a roll to end the season and if they make a deep playoff run, there is no real reason for him to want out. That’s why I think the first path would be better, but it also depends on if they bring in the right pieces.
Darvin Ham Expected To Be Fired Soon
While we can’t say for sure which route the Lakers will be going in, there is one decision that they have seemingly already taken. As per Buha, the Lakers are expected to move on from head coach Darvin Ham by the end of the week.
Once LA was eliminated in the first round, you did fear for his future, especially with the players not seemingly being all that fond of him. JJ Redick has been touted as a legitimate candidate to replace Ham and that would be quite the choice.
For me, the Lakers need to get someone who is experienced. I don’t doubt Redick’s knowledge, but it would be a massive risk to give him the job, as the Lakers’ title window is only open as long as LeBron is playing at a high level. They can’t afford to waste any time.
