by Although the Lakers’ season isn’t officially over, their disastrous 2022 run reached a new milestone on Tuesday night, when the team was eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the Suns. Los Angeles is no longer even eligible for the play-in tournament, cementing what has been one of the most hilarious and frankly unsurprising seasons in recent NBA history. Two years ago, this team won the NBA Finals. Now he’s heading to the lottery…except the lottery pick is heading to the Pelicans, who will finish several games ahead of the Lakers in the West. With Los Angeles’ importance to the current state of affairs in the league being next to none, it’s only fair to look to the offseason. Here are four big questions the Lakers will face this summer.
Will anyone trade for Russell Westbrook?
Westbrook’s trade isn’t the only reason the Lakers have been a shipwreck this season, but it was essentially the first domino for all the mistakes that followed. Westbrook’s trade not only took the Lakers away from what was probably a better move (acquiring Buddy Hield), it robbed the team of depth and forced the front office to fill the roster with minimal players. And aside from Malik Monk, most of those players haven’t exactly contributed to the win. Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore aren’t quite the hallmarks of a championship contender.
Finding a taker for Westbrook has to be the number one priority for Los Angeles this offseason. If he can bring back multiple coins, even if those players have flaws, it could pay off big. The Lakers desperately need youth and shooting, (and defense would be a plus). If the Knicks could somehow be convinced to part ways with Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, the Lakers are starting to make a lot more sense on paper around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The ultimate goal for this team should be to find multiple 3-and-D types to put around their two stars, instead of a player who isn’t particularly good at one or the other. Moving Westbrook won’t be easy. As his contract transitions to an expiring contract as well as future premieres the Lakers can move should help, the team shouldn’t expect perfect role players in return. Still, simply creating a more balanced roster would go a long way in bringing this team back to respectability.
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What position will Anthony Davis play?
Part of the problem with building the Lakers roster is that Anthony Davis still won’t play full-time center. At its best, LA puts a healthy AD in the five and surrounds him and LeBron with capable defenders who can expand the floor. Yet the team has rarely played that way in the past two seasons, often choosing to play limited centers like Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan until high leverage moments. It’s become a constant question for Davis, and the Lakers need to find a way to reach him. Wasting places on the list of centers that do not move the needle restricts the front office. If the Lakers are truly committed to rebuilding this roster the right way, an important step toward success would be building this roster in Davis’ center game vision.
Do you keep Talen Horton-Tucker?
The Lakers made a bet essentially keeping THT on Alex Caruso (for tax reasons, the ownership group shouldn’t have to worry about). This bet did not pay off. Caruso was a perfect fit next to James and Davis. Horton-Tucker struggled with his shot and wasn’t exactly a defender on the stop. And in a telling decision, THT’s minutes have become more inconsistent as the season progresses. A popular trade package launched for the Lakers during the season was the Horton-Tucker and Nunn combination. It would be wise to revisit this this summer in case there are any takers. These two contracts may be the Lakers’ best opportunity to find a mid-priced veteran, even if they have to tie up a pick to do so. Nunn hasn’t played at all this season, and while some people in the organization may wonder what happened, it’s hard to imagine him being a serious difference maker. LeBron James is entering his 20th season this fall. Hoping for a young player to develop is a luxury the Lakers don’t have. Finding vets who actually have something in the tank should be a priority for the front office. Moving THT might be the best way to bring in at least one of these players.
Who will be the coach?
Frank Vogel somehow survived skating on thin ice for seemingly the entire regular season. But reports now indicate that he is unlikely to be back with the team next year. Vogel really wasn’t the problem this season. He was given an old team that didn’t know how to play in defense, full of personalities that had to be managed with delicacy. Vogel was set up to fail and that’s exactly what happened. Can the Lakers do better? May be. It is far from a guarantee. However, bringing in a new coach could be an injection of energy. That person also needs to be someone who can command respect from James and Davis and hold them accountable, something Vogel was able to do during the team’s best moments. Hiring this person is no small feat. Quin Snyder and Doc Rivers — two rumored names for the job — would seem like people who could at least earn that respect. Even if they aren’t clear upgrades, the change in mood alone might be worth the risk of getting rid of an accomplished manager like Vogel.
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