Could Los Angeles Lakers Already Have Their Championship Roster?

The Los Angeles Lakers’ play last month has been so dominant with or without AD or Luka that the latest NBA power rankings has them ranked as the second best team in the West and the fourth best team in the league.

With a 34–21 record and fresh off a 123–100 demolition of their long-time nemesis Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers currently are the 4th seed in the West 1 loss ahead of 5th and 1 loss behind the 2nd and 3rd seeds. With 27 games left in the Lakers’ regular season, the Luka Doncic trade not only gives Los Angeles a 25-year old superstar to eventually replace 40-year old LeBron James but also a legitimate shot at winning the title this year.

The past offseason and first half of the regular season have seen an unlikely and unexpected series of events transform the Los Angeles Lakers from a franchise stuck in the past to a franchise primed for the future.
Starting with the inspired hiring of young JJ Redick as their next great head coach, the Lakers transformed their destiny with a pair of savvy trades for elite 3&D wing Dorian Finney-Smith and top-3 superstar stud Luka Doncic.

While Rob Pelinka was building a championship roster, Lakers’ rookie head coach JJ Redick was busy putting into work a lifetime of creative ideas on how best to teach players to love and win playing the game the right way.
The results so far have been impressive, especially on the defensive end where the Lakers have surprised everybody by actually becoming a better defensive team today than they were before they traded Anthony Davis.

Despite Davis leaving, Doncic arriving, and Williams trade being rescinded, the Lakers under JJ Redick have not missed a beat, dominating opponents and showing everybody they may already have their championship roster.

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What Are Lakers’ Chances to Win NBA Championship This Season?

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Winning an NBA championship has become excruciatingly challenging. It not only demands multiple career years from the team’s best players but also the blessing of the basketball gods in the form of a healthy roster.

While most analysts didn’t believe L.A. could compete for a championship this season after rescinding the blockbuster trade for Hornets’ center Mark Williams, the Lakers to a man still believe they can win the title this year.
Their thorough thrashing last Saturday night in Denver of their nemesis Nuggets, who’d won an impressive 9 straight games, was just the Lakers’ most recent display of what could already be their championship roster.

Right now, the Lakers are probably healthier than anytime during the last two years with the only player on the injured list being Maxi Kleber, whom the Lakers are hoping will be able to return sometime during the playoffs.
The only question now is whether this remarkable Lakers team can really continue to play like a top-tier NBA team despite its obvious weakness at center, where young Jaxson Hayes has been overperforming expectations.

It’s unbelievable that the Lakers without Anthony Davis could be a better defensive team than they were with AD, but JJ has found how to optimize their speed, smarts, length, and athleticism in a brilliant team defense.
Barring trades, 10 players will return next year — LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James.

If JJ Redick and the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers continue to dominate the rest of the season like a top-tier team at both ends of the court, they should have a realistic opportunity to win their 18th NBA championship this year.

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What Trade and Free Agency Moves Will Lakers Make This Summer?

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While teams can never have enough 3&D wings or POA guards, the Lakers’ greatest offseason priority will be re-sign free agents LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith and trade for a center in addition to Jaxson Hayes.

L.A. should have no problems re-signing LeBron James and Dorian Finney-Smith. Ironically, the Lakers’ greatest threat to steal DFS in free agency this summer were the Mavs due to his close relationship with Luka Doncic.
The Lakers also have four unrestricted free agents. They will surely re-sign young center Jaxson Hayes to long-term contract but will likely allow Cam Reddish, Markieff Morris, and Alex Len to walk away in free agency.

The expectation is that LeBron James may take less in his new contract to enable the Lakers to use both the $13.5 million NT MLE and $4.9 million BAE to sign two non-minimum free agent players to upgrade the roster.
While the Lakers do not have a first round pick this summer, they do have a pair of second round picks. Theoretically, the Lakers could add a pair of players via free agency and a pair of players via the draft this summer.

The Lakers’ single biggest need this summer will be to trade for at least one and maybe even two additional center to bolster the depth and versatility of the position. Right now, center position is the Lakers’ greatest weakness.
Myles Turner would be the perfect two-way center and Nic Claxton the ideal mobile defensive center but would cost rotation players and picks while Walker Kessler or Kelly Olynyk would be less costly but good fits.

Unlike last summer, Rob Pelinka has the Los Angeles Lakers perfectly positioned with multiple expiring contracts and available draft capital to dramatically upgrade what may already be an NBA championship roster.

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What Superstar Will Lakers Target When LeBron Decides to Retire?

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The big question for the Lakers is whether the trade for Luka and the recent championship caliber play of the team offensively and defensively has given 40-year old LeBron James a desire to play several more years.

There’s no question with the arrival of Luka Doncic that neither the Los Angeles Lakers or LeBron James himself will have a problem passing the baton to the franchise’s brand new 25-year old international superstar.
As he recovers from his latest unfortunate injury, that’s something that will surely not go unnoticed by Anthony Davis, who spent six years alongside LeBron James but could never seem to fully take the baton from the King.

While I believe they do understand the halcyon days of three superstars has truly gone, the Lakers are like an addict when it comes to big name superstars. You can never fully trust them to turn down a big name.
What everybody seems to fortunately forget is how much LeBron still means to this team and what his chameleon-like ability to change skillsets depending upon what the Lakers need has become their cheat code.

Five years ago, the Lakers had a championship roster they stupidly did not keep together. This time, Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and the Lakers must do a better job valuing the championship roster that they may already have.
That’s why besides chasing superstars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant, the Lakers should focus on younger players who would not require the team to give up their hard fought championship depth and versatility.

The Lakers would be smart to trade for a player whose age, position, and skill sets would elevate and upgrade an already championship roster. Ideally, the Lakers should trade for a player like Naz Reid or Myles Turner.