The core reason behind the Lakers’ sloppy playoff exits extends to Luka Doncic’s absence. However, they still wouldn’t contend with the Thunder. The Purple and Gold were outmuscled on both sides of the floor. That problem comes down to weak defensive integrity. Lakers analyst Jovan Buha points to two positions that need some strengthening.
The most urgent of those would be acquiring wings. Currently, they run with Rui Hachimura and LeBron James. As solid as they are, James isn’t the most consistent shooter, and Hachimura can be defensively absent. Buha’s dream vision is for the Lakers to fill the spaces with a specialist who can lock up to the perimeter. But he knows the cost would be too high.
“I would love a Jaden McDaniels on the Lakers, they’re not getting him unless they’re willing to give up Austin Reeves in a trade,” Buha pointed out on his YouTube channel.
The issue comes down to contracts. The Lakers were linked with several wings, such as the Pelicans’ Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones. Both are on friendly contracts, with Murphy making $17 million next season while Jones will net close to $15 million. The Lakers can match up these salaries without Austin Reaves. But then Rob Pelinka will need to start emptying the Lakers’ draft reservoir. Without the openness to do that, Reaves is the only player capable of swaying rival front offices.
“Those like elite All-Defense level wings who I think the Lakers would love to slot next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Those guys are just really difficult to acquire,” Buha added. He stated the reasons behind his thesis. “Those guys are either incredible bargains on rookie scale contracts and their teams are not looking to trade them, or they get paid handsomely, and they’re making 25 plus million dollars, and they’re still difficult to trade for and acquire,” he said.
Take a look around the league. The Thompson twins are on bargain deals, but neither Houston nor the Pistons would ever trade them. Jalen Brunson had to sacrifice over $100 million to house both OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. Neither are the Lakers getting Evan Mobley, Jalen Johnson, or Scottie Barnes. They are the future stars of their respective franchises, already carrying a significant portion of the salary cap.
Going for low-cost options means compromising on one of the areas. Lakers need two-way forwards. If they can’t shoot efficiently or don’t offer tenacity, the objective remains unfulfilled. The one chance the Lakers have is with the Nuggets’ Peyton Watson. He’s developed into a stunning two-way wing. The Nuggets struggled to stop paint entries without Watson during the playoffs.
He’s a restricted free agent, and the Lakers have the cap space. If they can overwhelm the Nuggets where they won’t match the offer sheet, the Lakers get a young, dynamic wing around Luka Doncic for a long time. But during this offseason, that’s their best bet to get an upgrade at the forward position. Unless Doncic can go and recruit PJ Washington? Then again, would Dallas be open to doing that? You see where Jovan Buha was going with this.
The Lakers need to start somewhere certain
Going for forwards is going to be complicated. Although LeBron James becoming a free agent has opened up space, they still need to extend Austin Reaves. Doncic wants his co-star to stay firmly in place. So, if the forwards are an issue, Pelinka needs to move to the second position. That’s the center spot.
The Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson is an unrestricted free agent. If the Lakers prefer a mobile center, Portland’s Robert Williams III serves as a solid alternative. The Lakers don’t necessarily need to make any grand sacrifice to add some solid big men. The free agent market is crawling with centers in the summer. There are also some tempting restricted free agents like Jalen Duren, who Detroit may want to move off after his playoff disasters.
In short, the Lakers could honestly have a range of options depending on the profiles they want. Even re-arranging their center rotation could significantly bolster the roster. Because the Purple and Gold have the offensive firepower. They are empty defensively. So just a few bodies to block shots and secure the glass could smooth out their operations.
Perimeter defense is vital to hide Doncic and Reaves. But if there aren’t any sensible options, LeBron James and Hachimura would work out well with a rim protector there to cover for them. How do you think the Lakers should approach the summer? Let us know your views in the comments below.
