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
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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.
Scenario No. 2 – Mix Of Power And Talents
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The second scenario the Los Angeles Lakers might find themselves in is a chance to acquire two superstar guards. That’s right, Los Angeles might have a chance to create a Big Four to challenge the competition. The first major name is Kyrie Irving, a player who has been mentioned in Lakers trade rumors all season long.
In terms of offensive production, the Los Angeles Lakers would be better if Kyrie Irving starts alongside James and Davis than if they kept their entire core together. Kyrie, despite his drama, is a tremendous offensive player. He is posting 27.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.6 APG on 49.4% FG, 38.5% 3-PT FG, and 89.9% FT. Those are elite numbers from a point guard that has shared ball-handling duties with Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic all year, so he will have no problem putting those numbers up alongside James and Davis as well. Remember, Kyrie and LeBron proved to be devastating to the Golden State Warriors in 2016 as they defeated the sharpshooting team in seven hard-fought games. Kyrie will be a free agent next season, and if he does not want to re-sign with Dallas, he can negotiate with the Lakers.
The deal that would be offered would include a D’Angelo Russell sign-and-trade for Irving. The Mavericks don’t want to lose Irving without gaining any return and need to acquire another star to help Luka Doncic in Dallas. D’Angelo Russell was an All-Star in 2019, so he can bring ball-handling and shooting to the Mavericks’ offense. With Irving on board, the Lakers can focus on their next target: Zach LaVine.
Zach LaVine is the best possible fourth option for the Lakers since he already has two All-Star appearances under his belt at only 28 years old. The two-time All-Star is one of the most talented players in the game right now because he is an offensive machine when he gets into his rhythm. Starting off as an incredible dunker with explosive hops, LaVine has worked on his game to add a sniper of a long-range shot and also improved his passing ability. LaVine is posting 25.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG on 48.2% shooting from the field, 38.5% from three, and 85.1% from the line this season.
So why would the Chicago Bulls want to move on from their most valuable trade asset? For one, the Bulls are only 10th in the East with a 34-37 record and have not been able to capitalize on the presence of DeMar DeRozan and LaVine together since last year. To pry LaVine away from the Bulls, the Lakers would need to sign Reaves to an offer sheet and engage in a sign-and-trade along with Hachimura, Beasley, and the 2029 first-round pick heading to Chicago. Remember, the Bulls snagged Alex Caruso and Lonzo Ball from Los Angeles before, so they could be monitoring Reaves (at only 24 years old) as well.
Adding a sharpshooter who is averaging 25.0 PPG would create the best Big Four in the NBA. The new starting lineup would be Kyrie Irving, Zach LaVine, Jarred Vanderbilt, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. In terms of star power and talent, the Lakers would absolutely compete for the NBA title as soon as next year and would actually be the favorites.
Scenario No. 1 – The Dream Scenario
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The last and perhaps dream scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers would be to acquire 7-time All-Star, 2023 3-Point Contest winner, and All-NBA 75th Anniversary Team member Damian Lillard. As great as Kyrie is, he is not Damian Lillard. The sharpshooting star of the Portland Trail Blazers is one of the best scorers in the NBA, averaging 32.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 7.2 APG on 46.3% FG, 37.3% 3-PT FG, and 91.5% FT. Those are simply superstar numbers from the best point guard in the game this season, and he would form the best Big Three with the Lakers by far.
Damian Lillard holds all the cards in Portland because his play dictates the direction of the franchise. He is too talented to settle for first and second-round exits, especially when his contemporaries are joining superteams and contending. Lillard deserves a big market like Los Angeles, and teaming up with James and Davis makes them the favorites in the Western Conference while Portland pulls the plug for a very solid rebuild. The Lakers are his best option because they need him. LeBron will be 39 next year, meaning he needs superstar help to continue to compete. Anthony Davis is in his prime, but he is injury prone, so Lillard can come in and take over the offense.
How could Los Angeles possibly acquire Dame? By re-signing D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves and engaging in a sign-and-trade along with Rui Hachimura and the 2029 first-round pick. This could only happen if Portland doesn’t end up with any of the top-3 picks in the draft, which could be a possibility as they are three games away from a play-in spot with the point guard basically admitting the season is over already. If Lillard wakes up one day and realizes he has a shot at winning a ring, he could force a trade. With Dame on board, the new starting lineup would be Lillard joining Malik Beasley in the backcourt, with Vanderbilt, LeBron, and Davis completing the starting five to challenge for the NBA Finals immediately next year.
What Would Be The Best Scenario For The Lakers This Summer?
The best possible scenario for the Lakers would be acquiring superstar point guard Damian Lillard. Damian Lillard is already a Hall of Fame talent, even if he doesn’t have an MVP or an NBA Finals appearance to his name. The man is one of the greatest Portland Trail Blazers stars ever and is one of the purest scorers in the NBA over the past few years. In terms of shot-making and offensive explosiveness, very few players compare to Lillard in NBA history.
Lillard can handle the ball to relieve LeBron James, carry an offense on his own, and is arguably the most clutch player in the league. Teaming up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis will give him the best chance to win an NBA title for the first time in his career because he won’t get it done in Portland. It is time for Lillard to give up his loyalty and follow the NBA trend because LeBron and Davis need him next year.
The next-best scenario would be for the Lakers to add Kyrie Irving and Zach LaVine. With Kyrie and LaVine in the lineup, Los Angeles has a ton of floor-spacing and shot-making which they sorely need. Not to mention, the frontcourt with Vanderbilt, James, and Davis looks solid as they can also space the floor, defend in a versatile way, and also provide experience and length. The Lakers are better with two scoring guards because they can hit threes and carry an offense to relieve an aging LeBron and an injury-prone Davis. No doubt, Los Angeles can fill the holes on their defense through Lonnie Walker who is a perimeter defender who has energy and youth.
Finally, in case the trades are not available for whatever reason, Los Angeles can run it back with the same crew. Russell and Beasley are two above-average shooters, and Vanderbilt can play hellacious defense, meaning James and Davis can do what they do. If the Lakers do find themselves in a position where the best scenario is to run it back, putting a top-4 seed in the West past them is a very silly thing to do. Not to mention, because of the Lakers’ incredible salary cap situation, they could have a fall-back plan that could result in a superteam.
If Los Angeles finds itself between a rock and a hard place with opposing teams uninterested in accepting their offers and free agency not going their way, the Lakers have one more scenario for creating a superteam that could include Draymond Green. Overall, the dream is to acquire Damian Lillard or, otherwise, Zach LaVine and Kyrie Irving, but running it back with the same squad might not be the worst idea after all.
Source: fadeawayworld
