Report: Lakers Offseason Moves Don’t Guarantee A Better Record
The Los Angeles Lakers finished with their first 50-win season in five years, but their latest offseason moves aren’t expected to lead to a better record next year.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report expects the Lakers to finish with the same 50-32 record next season.
“The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make a lot of changes to their 50-win team this offseason,” Bailey wrote.
Los Angeles added Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia over the summer while losing Dorian Finney-Smith to the Houston Rockets. Their offseason was also highlighted by Luka Doncic signing a three-year $165 million extension and LeBron James picking up his player option for next year.
Lakers’ Roster Changes
The most notable move for the Lakers this offseason was the addition of Ayton as their new starting center. Last year, they played Jaxson Hayes and Rui Hachimura in the five spot, but now they have a true center who expects to elevate both their rim protecting and rebounding.
“The individual upgrade from Jaxson Hayes to Deandre Ayton is significant,” Bailey wrote. “Regardless of what you might think about Ayton as a player.”
On that same side of the ball, Smart comes in as a former Defensive Player of the Year. His defensive production has dropped over the past few years, but the Lakers hope to bring him in to help them on the perimeter on a team that rarely relies on Doncic, Austin Reaves, and their other guards for top-tier defending.
Similarly, the addition of LaRavia brings another wing/big man who can come off the bench and generate energy for their second unit. He will likely play behind Jarred Vanderbilt and Hachimura as a forward, but he showed massive potential with the Sacramento Kings last year.
According to recent reports, the Lakers expect to start Doncic, Reaves, James, Smart, and Ayton next season. They still lack the level of depth compared to other teams like the Los Angeles Clippers or Oklahoma City Thunder, and Bailey doesn’t believe their offseason moves will be enough for a higher seed in the Western Conference next year.
Another 50-Win Season?
Though their roster saw a massive change with the Doncic, Anthony Davis trade, the Lakers’ 50 wins last year were their highest total since their title-winning season in 2019-20.
However, now fully in the ‘Luka Doncic era’, the Lakers have a bit more roster continuity as they’ve kept a majority of their rotational players next year. While Bailey doesn’t believe Ayton, Smart, and LaRavia will come in and lead to more wins, after locking down Doncic, finding players that fit around him should be the franchise’s top priority.
“And signing Luka Dončić to an extension long before the summer ended should instill a sense of stability throughout the organization. The Slovenian playmaker is clearly the face of the franchise going forward,” Bailey added. “As L.A. spends the next few years looking for talent that fits its younger generational talent, those two, Ayton and Austin Reaves should allow the team to compete at a high level now.”
The James situation remains another big concern for Los Angeles next year, specifically keeping him next summer. As of now, he’s under contract this season, and coming off an All-NBA second-team selection, he remains one of their top factors for success.
Bailey’s prediction for the Lakers to finish with another 50-32 record next season likely stems from the sustained prowess and growth of other teams in the West. In a conference featuring the Thunder, Clippers, Rockets, and Denver Nuggets, there are only so many wins to go around.
Los Angeles has 34 nationally televised games next year, tied for the most in the NBA.
