Lakerholics

As the 2024–25 NBA regular season finally kicks off, new Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick is implementing a stunning and dramatic 5-step plan to finally transform the Los Angeles Lakers into a modern NBA franchise.

The decision to hire JJ Redick despite his lack of coaching experience was part of an overriding decision by owner Jeanie Buss and GM Rob Pelinka to refocus Lakers’ team building around player development and continuity.
With the new CBA’s financial and competitive challenges and looming retirement of LeBron James, Lakers’ ownership and front office realized the time to modernize the team’s offense and defense was long overdue.

The Lakers ended up bringing back most of the players from last season’s roster, drafting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James Jr. and adding Christian Koloko but losing Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie via free agency. Unfortunately, efforts to upgrade the roster, including adding a starting quality center to pair with Anthony Davis, have been hindered by the lack of open roster spots due to multiple players accepting player options.

Despite struggles to upgrade the roster, expectations are soaring as the Lakers have enthusiastically embraced Redick’s elite basketball IQ and detailed 5-step plan to modernize the Lakers offensively and defensively.

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1. Embrace Advanced Analytics

The first step needed to modernize the Lakers is for the organization to fully embrace advanced analytics. Embracing analytics means changing your identity, how you play, what you prioritize, who you want to be.

Make no mistake, transforming and modernizing a LeBron James and Anthony Davis led Lakers’ team that finished 2nd in the NBA last season in points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws will be a major challenge.
For four years, the Lakers have held onto their old school offensive and defensive tendencies, forcing them to offset a negative deficit from 3-point shooting by over-relying on points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws.

Whether JJ Redick can successfully convincing the Lakers to embrace analytics and modernize their game will obviously depend heavily on how superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis buy into the new direction.
Lakers’ ownership and front office are convinced that Redick has the coaching chops and personal charisma to pull off what Luke Walton, Frank Vogel, and Darvin Ham were unable to do as former Lakers’ head coaches.

On offense, embracing analytics means shooting more threes, crashing the boards, and playing 2-bigs and 4-out. On defense, it means switching 1-through-4 to better prevent paint penetration and wide open 3-point shots.

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2. Increase 3-Point Shot Attempts

Last season, the Lakers were the 8th most accurate 3-point shooting team in the league, hitting 37.7% of their 3-point attempts. Unfortunately, they took and made so few threes they finished 28th in 3PA and 24th in 3PM.

Last season, the Lakers under head coach Darvin Ham averaged 11.8 made threes per game while allowing 14.7 made threes per game, resulting in a negative 3-point differential of -2.9 made threes or -8.7 points per game.
The Lakers were able to offset +6.9 points per game last season by winning points-in-the paint by +5.1 points (55.8–50.7) and made-free-throws by +1.8 points (15.1–13.3) but leaving them with a deficit of -1.8 points per game.

Strategically, the best way for the Lakers to continue to win the battles over points-in-the-paint and made-free-throws is to increase their 3-point takes and makes to dramatically improve spacing and wide open paths to rim.
Traditionally, the Lakers have used the old school path of dominating the paint in hopes of opening up outside shooting. The smarter path today is to use volume 3-point shooting to create spacing to attack the paint and rim.

Redick wants the Lakers to shoot 5 more threes per game, which would have increased their 3PA per game from 31.4 3PA per game to 36.4 3PA per game last season, which would have ranked them as #9 in the league.

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3. Increase Offensive Rebounds

Besides attempting more threes, JJ Redick also wants this season’s Lakers to focus on grabbing more offensive rebounds. Last year, the Lakers ranked 30th out of 30 teams with a meager 8.2 offensive rebounds per game.

The challenge faced by teams looking to improve offensive rebounding is figuring out how to attack the boards while still being able to get back on defense in time to prevent easy fast break points by the opposing team.
Unfortunately, the Lakers allowed 16.2 fast break points last year, ranked 27th out of 30 teams and extremely disappointing considering they were obviously not prioritizing offensive rebounding or transition defense.

Redick wants the Lakers to commit to offensive rebounding, especially by corner shooters crashing the glass with a goal of generating so many offensive boards that it forces opposing teams to defensively rebound.
The simplest way to prevent opposing teams from leaking out for easy transition buckets is to force their defensive rebounders to stay and fight to prevent the Lakers from dominating the boards and getting easy putbacks.

Ideally, the Lakers want to have a top-10 offense and defense. To do that, they need to increase offensive rebounds from 8.2 to 11.0 per game and reduce transition defense from allowing 16.2 to 13.5 points per game.

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4. Switch 1-Through-4 on Defense

Defensively, Lakers have always been a team that prefers their perimeter defenders to stick with the players they’re defending and fight over picks, which often allows opposing ball handlers to put our defenders in prison.

Refusing to switch on the perimeter ends up allowing easy midrange jumpers and lethal floaters by opposing ball handlers who have their defenders on their hips over our centers who are playing drop coverage.
Redick’s new strategy of switching everything one-through-four is a major change in how the Lakers plan to handle picks by guards and forwards. Importantly, the change to switching is a better fit with drop coverage.

Switching one-through-four makes it dramatically easier for our perimeter defenders to stay in from of the players they’re guarding, prevent any penetration into the paint, and challenge any attempted 3-point shots. Considering neither Austin Reaves or D’Angelo Russell are elite perimeter defenders, switching one-through-four will definitely make it harder for opposing teams to target and take advantage of them as weak defenders.

Finally, switching one-through-four not only is a better fit for Lakers centers playing drop coverage but is also perfect for playing two bigs with Anthony Davis able to roam free to provide elite defensive help.

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5. Deploy 2-Bigs 4-Out on Offense

In addition to switching everything one-through-four, JJ Redick wants to pair Anthony Davis with a second big, believing that a two-bigs lineup is essential to the Lakers having championship caliber size and physicality.

While Rui Hachimura will likely start the season at small forward, it would not be a surprise if the Lakers opted to trade Rui in order to open up a starting spot to pair a second big with Anthony Davis in a two-bigs lineup. One of the Lakers best performing lineups last season were lineups where Christian Wood was paired with Anthony Davis. While Wood did not have a good shooting season last year, Chris could see lots of action alongside AD.

Finding a starting quality center who can be paired with Anthony Davis will be a major focus of the Lakers’ front office heading into the trade deadline next February. This should be the Lakers top midseason priority bar none.
Whether it’s Christian Wood or Christian Koloko or a trade for a starting center like Robert Williams III, JJ Redick clearly wants to move to a two-bigs lineup where Anthony Davis is paired with another elite big man.

There’s no question that the Lakers view their greatest need right now as finding a second starting quality big to pair with Anthony Davis. There’s a good chance that Christian Wood or Christian Koloko could be that big.

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With LeBron James’ and Anthony Davis’ preseason debuts slated tonight, we may finally get a glimpse of how the Lakers will play under new head coach JJ Redick, with big changes expected both on offense and defense.

Offensively, Redick knows the Lakers must modernize their offense and embrace the 3-point shot to win rings in today’s NBA. Look for the Lakers to increase their 3-point attempts from low 30’s to high 30’s or even low 40’s.
Anthony Davis will be the hub for the Lakers offensively and LeBron James will play more off the ball to save energy. Also expect more off-ball motion and screening and more running set plays versus letting players freelance.

Defensively, Redick plans for the Lakers to switch one-through-four, which means switching everything unless the opposing center is making the pick. This makes it easier for defenders to prevent penetration and stop threes.
Most importantly, switching one-through-four works better with drop coverage as it prevents opposing ball handlers from using screens to put defenders in jail for easy midrange jumpers, floaters, and/or free throws.

While Darvin Ham’s reign as the Lakers’ head coach ended up burning and crashing, there were moments when the greatness of James and Davis and the innate talent of the rest of the roster was able to shone through the fog.
Included in those moments were the Lakers’ league 5th-best 22–10 finish to last season, their league 3rd-best 118.5 points per game after February 3rd, and their starting lineup’s league 2nd- best 110.5 team defensive rating.

Those isolated stats are like easy veins of gold for an analytics-oriented coach like Redick to mine. They show this Lakers roster not only has the potential to be a top-10 offensive team but also a top-10 defensive team.
While most NBA pundits view the Lakers as a likely play-in team at best, Redick already has the Lakers’ players, organization, and fans giddy with optimism that they finally have their next Pat Riley or Phil Jackson.

Replace the chaos, distrust, and inconsistency of Ham’s reign with the attention to detail, shared trust, and proven consistency of JJ Redick as the Lakers’ new coach and visionary to see their championship potential.

Unable to find a trade worth giving up picks, the Los Angeles Lakers are now facing a critical decision whether to stand pat and run it back next season with the same roster or go all-in to win a long-shot championship.

The pressure is growing for Rob Pelinka to upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineup and rotation to give new coach JJ Redict a roster that can compete and LeBron James and Anthony Davis an opportunity to win another ring. Rob has no one but himself to blame for the lack of trade opportunities as his overuse of player options has left the team with zero open roster spots and his poor cap management has them stuck just under the second apron.

The Lakers desperately need a major trade to create cap space under the second apron so they can use the $5.4 million TX MLE to sign a backup point guard like Spencer Dinwiddie or shooting guard like Gary Trent, Jr.
If they want to be a real championship contender, the Lakers also need to upgrade their starting lineup and rotation with a strong point-of-attack perimeter defender, bigger 3&D wing, and rim-protecting backup center.

The pressure on Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office to use their 2 first round picks and 3 pick swaps to make a major trade grows every time another available player or free agent coveted by L.A. gets traded or signed.
While the asking price of every Lakers target seems to be multiple draft picks, the Chicago Bulls recently announced that they would be willing to give up two second round picks in a Zach LaVine superstar salary dump.

Zach’s market value has plummeted partly due to his injury history but mostly due to the 3-years and $138 million left on his contract, which limits playoff quality teams from building out their rosters under the new CBA.
But the opportunity to acquire a first round pick, which could be flipped for another starter, as compensation for taking Zach LaVine’s contract could change everything as he’s a great fit on the court for the Lakers.

Here are three compelling reasons why the Los Angeles Lakers’ best option to upgrade their starting lineup and rotation is to trade with the Chicago Bulls for shooting guard Zach LaVine and an unprotected first round pick.

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1. Opens Door for Another Lakers NBA Championship

The first compelling reason for the Lakers to trade for Zach LaVine and a Bulls’ first round draft pick is it opens the door for the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to win another NBA championship.

Paying maximum contracts to superstars James, Davis, and LaVine makes it almost impossible for the Lakers to surround their three superstars with a championship caliber roster without going over the dreaded second apron. But adding a legitimate superstar guard like Zach LaVine in his prime who perfectly complements LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus a first round draft pick to be used for a second starter, is a deal L.A. should not pass up.

The Lakers could use the Bulls’ first round pick to trade for the strong point-of-attack perimeter defender, bigger 3&D wing, or rim-protecting backup center they desperately need to become legitimate contenders.
They could target point-of-attack perimeter defenders like Marcus Smart, bigger 3&D wings like Jerami Grant or Cam Johnson, or rim-protecting defensive backup centers like Walker Kessler or Wendell Carter Jr.

One trade option the Lakers should explore is using the Bulls’ pick to trade with the Jazz for Walker Kessler to be the coveted second big they need to better defend bigger low-gravity centers like Jokic, Sabonis, and Embiid.
The Lakers could offer the Jazz the equivalent of two first round picks for Kessler, giving them the first round pick from the Bulls as well as removing the 1–4 protection from their 2027 first round pick already owned by Jazz.

The Lakers would start a lineup of Austin Reaves, Zach LaVine, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Walker Kessler with a bench mob of Spencer Dinwiddie, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht, Chris Wood, and Jaxson Hayes.
That would be a dramatically stronger starting lineup and rotation than the Los Angeles Lakers currently have and should elevate them to legitimate championship contender status in what will be a wild Western Conference.

Trading with the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine and a first round pick to be turned into another starter is the best trade option available to transform the Los Angeles Lakers into legitimate NBA championship contenders.

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2. Preserves Important Draft Capital for Future Growth

Preserving their current draft capital of two tradable first round picks and three pick swaps is the second compelling reason why the Lakers should trade with Chicago for Zach LaVine plus a Bulls’ first round draft pick.

The Lakers’ ability to respond when player signings or trade opportunities pop up or unexpected team crises suddenly demand action could depend on whether they possess the draft capital needed to make adjustments.
The Lakers’ greatest vulnerability should they trade for Zach LaVine is they would then have three superstars with very troublesome injury histories. Having the draft capital to make a key move if a star goes down is critical.

While it’s not a sure thing the Bulls would be willing to include a first round draft pick as compensation to dump Zach LaVine’s bad contract, Chicago is clearly done with LaVine and vice versa and L.A. may be the only buyer.
The Lakers have a unique opportunity not only to trade for a long coveted third superstar in LaVine, who’s a perfect complement to James and Davis, but ironically be rewarded for doing so with a Bulls’ first round draft pick.

Getting a first round pick for a player for whom you would usually give multiple first round picks tells you everything you want to know about how the new CBA has caused a massive revaluation of NBA player contracts.
While three superstar teams will still happen, their shelf life may well be limited to one or two seasons. In this new NBA world, even the luxury tax immune Golden State Warriors are projected to pay zero taxes next year.

Rob Pelinka should be able to read the tea leaves and see that the financial and competitive landscape of the NBA is changing. Being able upgrade the Lakers while still preserving their current draft capital is a gigantic win.
It not only gives the Lakers the trading chips needed should a chance to get better suddenly emerge but also the insurance that they can make moves should LeBron, Anthony, Zach. or another key player suffer an injury.

Trading for the Bulls’ Zach LaVine and a first round pick to be used to add another quality starter is the Lakers’ best trade option because it preserves their tradable two first round picks and three first round pick swaps.

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3. Solves Critical Issue of LeBron James’ Replacement

The third compelling reason the Lakers should trade with the Bulls for Zach LaVine and a first round pick is it solves the critical issue of who is going to replace LeBron James when he retires in two or three years.

The two toughest transitions for NBA teams to successfully manage are replacing a head coach or a superstar due to the challenge of coordinating the timing of the departure of the old with the pending arrival of the new.
While LeBron continues to play like a top-ten NBA player, it’s difficult to imagine him playing more than two or three years, which increases the Lakers’ urgency to find another superstar to replace him and pair with AD.

Frankly, it could be years before the Lakers see a better opportunity to land a legitimate superstar to replace LeBron James than trading with the Bulls for Zach LaVine and being giving a first round draft pick as compensation.
It’s an out-of-the-box move that allows the Lakers to upgrade to contender, save their draft capital, and trade for LeBron James’ superstar replacement. Getting that Bulls’ draft pick changes the overall dynamic of the trade.

Trading for Zach LaVine and a pick does not lesson his risk of injury or lighten the financial load his contract has on the team’s cap situation but landing LeBron’s replacement before he retires is franchise-changing.
LaVine has always been a great fit to play as third star with James and Davis and then to pair with AD when LBJ retired. It’s always been the risk of injury with no resources to adjust that negated trading for Zach LaVine.

As the Lakers continue to do nothing as free agency continues, there’s a growing sense Rob Pelinka and the Lakers may not be able to find any viable trades worth gambling their future and giving up their draft capital.
Hopefully, the Lakers will then take a second look at calling up the Bulls and discussing a trade for LaVine where Chicago give Los Angeles a future first round pick as compensation for taking on Zach’s bad contract.

Trading for 29-year old Zach LaVine would give the Los Angeles Lakers the opportunity to replace 40-year old LeBron James with the perfect co-star to pair with 30-year old Anthony Davis when LeBron James eventually retires.

Like the NBA itself, the Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a major changing of the guard with JJ Redick taking over the head coaching duties and superstar LeBron James approaching what could be his final seasons.

For Los Angeles Lakers fans and followers, the franchise goal as usual is championship or bust, which is why they’ve been so disappointed with Pelinka’s overly patient excuses and artfully minimized expectations. The struggles the front office has encountered have essentially paralyzed the Lakers and made them the only franchise out of 30 NBA teams that has not added a single player since the start of the current free agency period.

With the re-signing of team co-captain LeBron James to a 2-year near-max contract for $101 million, the Lakers are now safely below the tough second luxury tax apron and are now able to proceed with upgrading their roster.
The Lakers need a point-of-attack perimeter defender, a bigger legitimate 3&D wing who can shoot the three and guard the West’s big high-scoring wings, and a rim protecting backup center for when AD is on the bench.

The challenge facing the Lakers right now is each of the trade options to specifically fill those three needs will cost one or more picks and aren’t guaranteed to raise the roster to legitimate championship contender status.
The Lakers are currently evaluating whether their best move at this point in time might be to run it back with the current roster and save their draft capital until a better opportunity arises rather than going all-in right now.

The Lakers need to start thinking outside-of-the-box to find a way to still compete to win a championship while LeBron James and Anthony Davis are still playing at a high level without giving up their valuable draft capital.
The solution is to take on Zach LaVine’s bad contract in return for the Bulls’ 2027 unprotected first round pick and then trade that pick to upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineup and rotation to legitimate championship contender.

While trading for LaVine is a calculated gamble because of his contract and injury history, it’s also an opportunity to find LeBron James’ replacement and go for a championship right now while saving our picks for the future.
Unlike most of the Lakers’ other potential trade options, the Lakers would still have the security of all of their current draft capital in case trading for LaVine and another starter with the Bulls’ first round pick did not work.

Slowly but surely, we’re starting to hear rumors that the Lakers may be rethinking their options and a trade with the Bulls for Zach LaVine and a first round pick is starting to appear as a smart out-of-the-box option.
Frankly, when you consider how talented and impactful LaVine could be and whom the Lakers might also be able to get with that first round pick, a 3-team trade with the Bulls could end up being the Lakers’ best option.

With that in mind, here are three blockbuster trades that could not only transform the Los Angeles Lakers into legitimate championship contenders but also preserve their existing draft capital for better future opportunities.

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1. Trade for Zach LaVine and Brook Lopez

PG: REAVES, Dinwiddie, James Jr.
SG: LAVINE, Christie, OPEN
SF: JAMES, Knecht, Lewis
PF: DAVIS, Wood, OPEN
CE: LOPEZ, Hayes, OPEN

The trade for Zach LaVine and a Bulls’ first round pick not only gives the Lakers a third superstar who can eventually replace LeBron James but also the draft pick they needed to trade for veteran stretch center Brook Lopez.

The net result is Los Angeles trades 6 Lakers for 1 Bull and 1 Buck, creating a dynamic starting lineup of Austin Reaves, Zach LaVine, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Brook Lopez and opening up 4 roster spots for other talent.
The beauty of trading with the Bulls is the Lakers do not have to give up either of their 2 tradable first round picks or 3 tradable first round pick swaps, allowing them to keep their draft capital to use in the future.

The pros of the LaVine/Lopez trade include getting a third star to replace LeBron, building a championship caliber starting lineup, and improving the Lakers overall size, rebounding, rim protection, and 3-point shooting.
With Brook Lopez starting at center, the Lakers will have the big body they need to deal with big low gravity centers like Jokic, Sabonis, and Embiid and Anthony Davis can move to his preferred power forward position.

The cons are LeBron James has to play and defend the three, the Lakers gave up 6 players, including two starters, so bench depth and diversity will be heavily dependent on inexperienced and minimum salary players.
Nevertheless, the Lakers should be able to use their TX MLE to re-sign Spencer Dinwiddie as backup point guard to pair with Max Christie as backup shooting guard and Dalton Knecht as the backup small forward.

Bottom line, trading for shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Brook Lopez offers the Lakers the most of the 3 proposed blockbuster Bulls trades and should be the top priority on their offseason trade big board.

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2. Trade for Zach LaVine and Cameron Johnson

PG: REAVES, Dinwiddie, James Jr.
SG: LAVINE, Christie, OPEN
SF: JAMES, Knecht, Lewis
PF: JOHNSON, Wood, OPEN
CE: DAVIS, Hayes, OPEN

The trade for Zach LaVine and a Bulls’ first round pick gives the Lakers a third superstar who can replace LeBron James as well as a first round draft pick to use to trade for talented young 3&D wing Cameron Johnson.

The net result is Los Angeles trades 6 Lakers for 1 Bull and 1 Net, creating a dynamic starting lineup of Austin Reaves, Zach LaVine, Cam Johnson, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis and opening up 4 needed roster spots.
The beauty of trading with the Bulls is the Lakers do not have to give up either of their 2 tradable first round picks or 3 tradable first round pick swaps, allowing them to keep their draft capital to use in the future.

The pros of the LaVine/Johnson trade include getting a third star to replace LeBron, building a championship caliber starting lineup, and improving the Lakers overall size, rebounding, wing defense, and 3-point shooting.
With Johnson starting at small forward, the Lakers will have the bigger wing they need to defend the bigger high scoring wings in the West like Durant, Leonard, and DeRozan and James won’t have to play the three.

The cons are the Lakers gave up 6 players, including two starters, so bench depth and diversity will be heavily dependent on inexperienced and minimum salary players. Also, Anthony Davis will have to play the five.
Nevertheless, the Lakers should be able to use their TX MLE to re-sign Spencer Dinwiddie as backup point guard to pair with Max Christie as backup shooting guard and Dalton Knecht as the backup small forward.

Bottom line, trading for shooting guard Zach LaVine and forward Cam Johnson offers the Lakers a chance to find a superstar to replace LeBon, win another championship, and preserve draft capital for the future.

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3. Trade for Zach LaVine and Kelly Olynyk

PG: REAVES, Dinwiddie, Vincent,
SG: LAVINE, Christie, James Jr
SF: JAMES, Knecht, Lewis
PF: DAVIS, Wood, OPEN
CE: OLYNYK, Hayes, OPEN

The trade for Zach LaVine and a Bulls’ first round pick not only gives the Lakers a third superstar who can eventually replace LeBron James but also the draft pick they needed to trade for dynamic stretch center Kelly Olynyk.

The net result is Los Angeles trades 5 Lakers for 1 Bull and 1 Raptor, creating a dynamic starting lineup of Austin Reaves, Zach LaVine, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Kelly Olynyk, and opening up 3 roster spots.
The beauty of trading with the Bulls is the Lakers do not have to give up either of their 2 tradable first round picks or 3 tradable first round pick swaps, allowing them to keep their draft capital to use in the future.

The pros of the LaVine/Olynyk trade include getting a third star to replace LeBron, building a championship caliber starting lineup, and improving the Lakers overall size, rebounding, playmaking, and 3-point shooting.
With Kelly Olynyk starting at center, Anthony Davis will be free to be the team’s hub on offense and free safety roamer on defense. Olynyk is both a great 3-point shooter as well as elite playmaker who will be a great fit.

The cons are LeBron James has to play and defend the three, the Lakers gave up 5 players, including 2 starters, so bench depth and diversity will be heavily dependent on inexperienced and minimum salary players.
Nevertheless, the Lakers should be able to use their TX MLE to re-sign Spencer Dinwiddie as backup point guard to pair with Max Christie as backup shooting guard and Dalton Knecht as the backup small forward.

Bottom line, trading for shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Kelly Olynyk could transform the Lakers’ offense into a virtual juggernaut that plays fast, dominates the paint and free throw line while raining threes.

Nobody is saying it but it’s looking more and more like the coming NBA season could be LeBron James’ last dance as Rob Pelinka continues to resist going all-in to give the King one final chance to win his fifth championship.

LeBron James has to be sad and discouraged that Rob Pelinka failed to take advantage of his willingness to give up as much as $20 million per year so the Lakers could receive access to the $12.9 million NT MLE to add depth. With media reports the Lakers may not trade their two available first round picks until next summer, Pelinka may now be focusing on making small moves on the margins and preserving his draft capital for next season.

Frankly, it’s hard to believe a Los Angeles Lakers team that cultivated an image as place where superstars close their careers and establish their legends could bail out and not go all-in on LeBron James’ last dance.
It’s just embarrassing watching the franchise that rewarded 35-year old Kobe Bryant with a 3-year max deal after suffering a torn Achilles not being willing to spend their available draft picks and swaps to upgrade this team.

The Lakers apparently believe paying LeBron James a near max contract for the next two years and using their #55 pick in the 2024 draft for his son Bronny James was all they were obligated to do for their iconic superstar.
It’s hard to imagine James not being disappointed in Rob’s repeated failures to make moves needed to surround James and Davis with a championship caliber starting lineup and rotation for the 5th time in 6 years as a Laker.

If there’s anything other than Father Time that might make LeBron James call it a career after the coming season, it’s watching Rob Pelinka and his clown crew of associates waste what could be the last year of his career.
At their core, the Lakers front office has apparently lost confidence that LeBron James and Anthony Davis can still be a championship caliber duo and don’t see any of the feasible upgrades as being worth gambling on.

Frankly, I’m totally tired of hearing Rob Pelinka parrot the same lame excuses for not spending his draft capital and upgrading the roster. The Lakers’ offseason plan was poorly conceived and horribly executed.
Unlike how their clumsy coaching search was saved by hiring JJ Redick, the Lakers offseason upgrade plan was essentially dead on arrival and its corpse has drained Pelinka and the Lakers front office of any decisiveness.

In the end, I would be happier if the Lakers took a giant gamble and traded their cap sheet for a Lakers’ Big Three with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Trae Young or Zach LaVine. Problem is Westbrook took Pelinka’s balls.
Lakers just need to use the picks and swaps to trade with the Blazers for Jerami Grant and Robert Williams or the Nets for Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith or the Jazz for Walker Kessler or the Wizards for Kyle Kuzma.

There are still multiple difference-making players available who would be great fits on the Lakers and would help elevate them to contender status. As usual, Pelinka can’t find a deal he likes while available options decrease.
After failing to find a player who would meet LeBron’s standard and accept the NT MLE, Rob seems to be paralyzed, simply hoping the Jazz, Blazers, or Nets will change their mind and take less for the players the Lakers covet.

That’s at least the more charitable explanation for why Rob Pelinka has not made any moves in free agency other than re-signing Max Christie. Is Rob simply incompetent or has he decided to just ride out LeBron’s last dance?
It’s hard as a Lakers fan not to expect Rob to come out and announce at any moment that the Lakers are not going to trade either of their two available first round picks because that will not be enough to win a championship.

The only silver lining from Pelinka failing to find a quality MLE candidate is we no longer have to worry about ending up with DeMar DeRozan via either the NT MLE or a S&T since we will be over the first luxury tax apron.