While a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis are clearly two of the top five players in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers need to upgrade their other three starters to be able to compete for the championship next season.
The harsh reality is Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Andre Drummond would not be guaranteed to start on any of the other top teams with whom the Lakers would be competing for a championship next year. That’s why the Lakers’ top priority this summer should be to upgrade their starting point guard, shooting guard, and center positions with true starter quality players who can complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers need a starting point guard who can run the offense and shoot the three, a starting shooting guard who’s an elite high volume 3-point shooter, and a starting center who can stretch defenses and protect the rim. The problem is the Lakers have no cap space to sign free agents, only two players with tradeable contracts, and just their 2021 and 2027 first round picks to upgrade their starting lineup to championship caliber this summer.
While the Lakers don’t have the trading chips to land a third superstar like Bradley Beal or Zach Lavine, here are three second tier NBA stars who would transform LA’s starting lineup into a championship caliber fivesome.
1. Replace Dennis Schroder with Derrick Rose
While Dennis Schroder has talent, he’s not a good enough playmaker or 3-point shooter to be the starting point guard on a championship team. He’s actually better suited to be a backup point guard coming off the bench.
Unfortunately, Dennis has made it clear at this point in his career that he wants the role and salary of a starting point guard rather than coming off the bench like he did when he was 6MOY runner up for the OKC Thunder. Schroder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Since the Lakers don’t have the cap space to replace him, they will have to overpay or sign-and-trade him to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency this summer.
The perfect candidate to replace Schroder as the Lakers’ starting point guard would be the Knicks’ Derrick Rose, an unrestricted free agent whom LA should try to sign with their $10 million non-taxpayer Mid Level Exception. The 32-year old Rose is coming off a stellar season with New York where he averaged 14.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists in 26.8 minutes per game shooting 48.7% from the field, 41.1% from three, and 88.3% from the line.
Rose would better complement LeBron and AD and give the Lakers a proven starting quality point guard who was a better 3-point shooter (41.4% vs. 33.5%) and playmaker (3.0 vs. 2.0 assists-to-turnover) than Schroder.
2. Replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with Buddy Hield
While he’s a plus defender, shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has averaged just 9.3 and 9.7 points per game the last two seasons, which is not what the starting shooting guard on a championship team should average.
The Lakers’ single biggest problem offensively is the lack of high volume, high percentage 3-point shooting. While KCP shot 38.5% and 41.0% from three over the last two seasons, he still only averaged 1.6 threes per game. What the Lakers desperately need is a shooting guard who can not only get open but also won’t hesitate to rain 8 to 10 threes per game. In other words, a top-15 volume 3-point shooter like Steph Curry or Damian Lillard.
The perfect candidate to replace Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is Sacramento shooting guard Buddy Hield, who was the third most prolific 3-point shooter in the league after Curry and Lillard with 10.2 threes per game. Averaging 4.0 made threes per game and shooting 39.1% from deep, Hield would give the Lakers the high volume, high percentage 3-point shooter they need to free up LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack the paint.
The Kings have been looking to move Buddy Hield, who has three year’s left on his contract at $22.8, $20.8, and $18.9 million per year, for some time now. They need cap space to invest in several promising young players. Offering a package of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Talen Horton-Tucker should be enough for Sacramento. KCP is a proven quality two-way rotation player and THT is a future superstar whom the Kings can build around.
Replacing KCP with Hield would solve many of the Lakers 3-point shooting woes and catapult them from the bottom five in attempted 3-point shots and 3-point percentage to the top-ten in the league in both categories.
3. Replace Andre Drummond with Myles Turner
While the Lakers hoped the Andre Drummond experiment would somehow work out with him re-signing this summer for the NT MLE, it’s obvious the Big Penguin was not a good fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Andre Drummond not only didn’t solve the Lakers’ rim protection problems on defense but also didn’t provide the spacing LA desperately needed to prevent opposing teams from packing the paint against LeBron and AD. While they still contend Drummond did not have enough time to learn how to play with James and Davis, Andre simply does not have the low post offensive game or natural rim protection instincts the Lakers need.
The player the Lakers need to be their starting center is the Pacers’ Myles Turner, who led the entire NBA with 3.4 blocked shots per game. Turner is the perfect front court candidate to play center alongside Anthony Davis. Myles not only solves the Lakers’ rim protection problems but also gives them a stretch five center whose career 35% 3-point shooting can space the floor and open up lanes for LeBron James and Anthony Davis to attack.
The Indiana Pacers are looking to trade Turner because the double bigs, twin towers lineups featuring him and Sabonis have not worked. Turner currently makes $18 million per year and has two years remaining on his contract. Turner will be in high demand and the price high because of his age and skillset but Kyle Kuzma and the Lakers’ 2021 and 2027 first round draft picks for Myles should be enough to tempt Indiana to trade him to LA.
The 25-year old, 6′ 11,” 250 lb Turner would provide the Lakers with the perfect modern center who can protect the rim and stretch the floor and allow the injury prone Anthony Davis to play the four all of the time.
Replacing Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Andre Drummond with Derrick Rose, Buddy Hield, and Myles Turner would dramatically upgrade the Lakers’ starting lineup for next season.
The changes would improve the Lakers at both ends of the court. Davis and Turner would put a lid on the basket defensively and five capable 3-point shooters would open up the floor for the Lakers to get to the rim on offense. The Lakers would lose some depth off the bench but Pelinka should be able to re-sign stalwart reserves like Alex Caruso and Markieff Morris and maybe pick up some other quality veterans for the bench like TJ McConnell.
There are other candidates the Lakers could pursue to upgrade their starting lineup. For example, starting point guard targets could include players like Malcolm Brogdon, Kyle Lowry, or even Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul. Starting shooting guard targets could include CJ McCollum, Terry Rozier, Evan Fournier, Malik Beasley, or Devonte Graham. Starting center targets could include Kristaps Porzingis, Chris Boucher, or Christian Wood.
A starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Buddy Hield, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Myles Turner would give the Los Angeles Lakers the offensive fire power and defensive rim protection to win their 18th championship.
Rob Pelinka faces his biggest challenge yet as head of basketball operations for Lakers rebuilding this roster. Saying he wants to run it back (whatever that means) is not a promising first comment, especially if it includes using the NT MLE to re-sign Andre Drummond to be the Lakers center. Andre is not a stretch center or rim protector or low post scorer and it puzzles me why the Lakers continue to think he is the future at center.
Replacing Schroder, KCP, and Drummond with Rose, Hield, and Turner would be a perfect summer for the Lakers. Signing Derrick Rose with the NT MLE, trading KCP and THT for Buddy Hield, and trading Kuzma and our 2021 and 2027 first round picks for Myles Turner would transform the Lakers starting lineup into a true championship starting lineup.
There are, of course, other viable candidates to replace Schroder, KCP, and Drummond but Rose, Hield, and Turner are the three new starters I think make the most sense to modernize the Lakers on offense and make them dominant on defense. This summer is one of those momentous offseasons that will determine what kind of future the LeBron James led Lakers will have. Making the right moves would be a godsent. Making the wrong moves, like keeping Drummond, would portend a disaster.
I can’t agree more, Tom. Seems as if you read my mind. I will go with the three players you mentioned( Rose, Hield, Turner ) in a heartbeat. That would totally give the starting five an unmatched balance and power. Not sure how practical it is to get that done, but that would be a hell of a move.
Thanks, Buba. I think Lakers need to shore up starting lineup. Being able to get all three is going to be tough. What could be a difference maker is the ability to sign-and-trade Schroder and Harrell. There’s also no hard cap if you SEND out a player via sign-and-trade. Only if you receive one.
The bigger issue is whether the Lakers will embrace improving their 3-point shooting. All three of these guys can shoot the three, especially Hield whose top five.
I would say top priority to me is Myles Turner. I would trade whatever the Pacers want of Kuz, KCP, THT, Schroder, and Harrell. I think he’s that important. Will protect and help Davis become the best he can. Next has to be a point guard to replace Dennis.
I would be thrilled with Turner and Rose. Hield would be frosting on the cake. Give me 2 out of 3 please.
Thanks for the response, Tom. I can’t wait to see what Rob does this offseason. Whatever he does has to include improving our three-point shooting, first and foremost. And that includes our center position as well. You’ve been making good points on this subject for a while. I like mongo’s counter as well though he likes to err on the side of caution.
What the above three transactions amount to is:
Additions: Derrick Rose, Buddy Hield, and Myles Turner.
Subtractions to trade for Hield and Turner:
KCP, THT (S&T), Kuzma, 2021 and 2027 1st Rounders
S&T or lost to free agency candidates:
Schroder, Harrell
Re-sign: Caruso, Morris, Matthews
3-Point shooting dramatically improved:
50.0% more 3P takes, 43.3% more 3P makes
Points from threes increased by 6.6 PPG.
Lakers offense was 22nd with 109.5 PPG
Would now be 116.1 PPG, which tied for 5th in league.
Players Subtracted:
KCP 9.7/2.7/1.9, made 1.8 of 4.4 3PPG for 41.0%
THT 9.0/2.6/2.8, made 0.6 of 2.0 3PPG for 28.2%
Kuzma 12.9/6.1/1.9, made 2.0 of 5.6 3PPG for 36.1%
TOTAL 31.6/11.4/6.6, MADE 4.4 OF 12.0 FOR 36.7%
Players Added:
Rose 14.7/2.6/4.2, made 1.1 of 2.6 3PPG for 41.1%
Hield 16.6/4.7/3.6, made 4.0 of 10.2 3PPG for 39.1%
Turner 12.6/6.5/1.0, made 1.5 of 4.4 3PPG for 35.2%
TOTAL 43.9/13.8/8.8, made 6.6 of 17.2 3PPG for 38.3%
If it was only that simple to just unplug and plug in those numbers…
The thing about 3-point shooting is you have to have guys who are able and willing to take a lot of shots. You can’t improve your 3-point shooting volume and percentage by just having the same guys take more shots. It’s about the players’ games and you need players who are confident shooters who work to get open threes and then can make them.
Of the three additions, Rose is questionable as this was his best season from deep. Hield and Turner have been consistent throughout their career. The big difference to me is the PPG of the new additions vs. the current players. Lakers need starters who can get the job done. Schroder, KCP, and Drummond are not the answer.
Can the Lakers sign Rose and make the trades for Hield and Turner? That’s really the big question. So far, I haven’t seen any indication that Pelinka believes the current roster can’t get it done, despite the obvious evidence. Like Vogel, he continues to claim the ‘shots will fall.’
Unless Pelinka and Vogel admit the Lakers need a starting center who is a stretch five and a shooting guard who’s a high volume and high percentage 3-point shooter, any hopes of the Lakers coming out of summer as a favorite to win a championship are probably fairy tales.
Lakers not going to win unless they embrace the power of 3-point shooters when you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That is how you win in today’s game. We need the front office to understand that and build a new roster that embraces the modern game.
Do I expect that to happen? Probably not. We’ll probably try to retain Drummond as our starting center and go down hill from there.
But the stats are just part of the equation. You gotta factor in coaching, system, roster construction, and maybe most importantly…fit. It’s not easy to join a team with LeBron & AD and adjust to the new role you’ll need to play. That’s why Pau, Lamar, Fish, & MWP did well with Kobe..know your role & stay ready. That’s a unique skillet. Also..I’m not sure Buddy & D-Rose help our perimeter defense. Like folks say..it’s all a crapshoot. You can’t predict how guys will respond when put into this situation.
And speaking of coaching..I’m not sure Frank is the guy to effectively integrate all these new dudes and put them in comfortable positions to succeed. We’ve seen his failure at that this season. And his reluctance to make changes is problematic. I’m watching all the moves Ty Lue has made in these 2 series so far and realizing how stuck in the mud our coach is.
Good points, Mongo. I suppose part of the blame has to go to Pelinka for promising a starting job to Drummond. Hard for Frank to make the change until too late and too little because of the injuries. The problem is a static starting lineup is great for stability and setting roles but not when the three non-superstar starters are subpar. Frank should have starting whomever matched up best since there wasn’t much impact difference between the #3 and #8 players on this team. Vogel would have been better off rotating starting roles by matchup. Lue has done a good job adjusting but then it’s easier to do when you go down 0-2 in both series.
Nice article, LT, hope your foray down south was lucrative, as well. I am willing to embrace the idea of upgrading the roster but there are a few things I think we absolutely have to avoid:
I think that, in order to fill it out, we need to make sure we do not bring a player back in a Sign & Trade. Even if it means starting the season with a roster that has some holes it makes it so difficult to both retain our own free agents and make moves at the trade deadline. There is a very short list of players I would amend that stance for: Dame, Steph, & Kawhi. Nobody else I can think of fits the needs of our team, brings either the defense, scoring or the playmaking we need (or both in Curry’s case).
Ignoring that the Lakers actually made moves we advocated for at the start of the season, they just didn’t pan out as expected. When we brought in Matthews, kept KCP, and added McLemore we tried to address the three point shooting issue. Also, Davis was atrocious from behind the arc all season long and LeBron missed the most games ever in his career. No single player can overcome all of that, we’ll see that unfold in Brooklyn with Kyrie and Harden out.
Indy listed Turner as part of it’s future core. I just don’t see us putting together a package that would make them change that notion. Whether he really is or not isn’t the issue, that’s how they’re posturing right now. Kuz, KCP and whatever ain’t going to get it done. Frankly, that’s true for a lot of the league and the kind of players we need. Everyone wants a better point guard, everyone wants stellar three and D guys on the roster, everyone wants a center that can play high level D and shoot the three. We may need to think outside those boxes like we did the Bubble season. I’m not saying “avoid trying to trade for Myles Turner” but rather let’s not focus on one player, under contract, who we don’t really have the assets to pry away, anyhow.
I like Rose, would be fine with him coming over. Like Schroder I don’t want to overpay for what is essentially a backup PG. That’s what was great about Avery Bradley and Rondo at this point in his career. They have a nose for defense, don’t need the ball to be effective and have improved in the analytic areas of the game. Rose also doesn’t really fit into your “volume, volume, volume from three” theory as he only took 2/game last season. He’s also another guy who generally has one major injury/season and misses chunks of time. Since he tore his knee up he’s played in 60+ games twice, only played in 50 last season.
In terms of structuring our cap and setting ourselves up for success next season I look at it this way: Of our free agents who is essential to our identity and needs? One could make the point that none of our free agents are “essential” but that since they are ours, and we can go over the cap to retain them, that therein lies their true value. We can keep everyone currently on the roster, give them raises or whatever. The only one I’m ambivalent about is Schroder. Sign him for too much and he’s an albatross. I’ve said it before, no more than $12-15 mil, if he finds a bigger deal somewhere else cool.
I also think we need to take a long look at why guys didn’t play in the playoffs. Trezz got some “hey thanks for being here” minutes, same for THT. Why? That will be one of the biggest questions I would have for Rob and Frank. If the kid is worth keeping he should be worth playing, if only for the experience since, you know, he’s worth keeping. Might also be worth our time to simply let the market dictate the worth of guys like THT, Caruso, etc. The summer is so dicey, things can start fast and you feel like you’re getting left out.
The thing with the Lakers is we got AD and LBJ, so we need complimentary pieces. I don’t see us currently being in a position to acquire another top tier player (as you noted) so I think we need to nail down who can help them. I’m of the same thinking you are when it comes to Drummond. Unless he’s here on a vet minimum deal he’s not our guy. LeBron needs a more mobile and athletic big like Tristian Thompson, Dwight, that kinda guy. AD wants to play the 4 in the regular season so we need some kind of 5. It’s funny how much hinges on what Gasol and Trezz do this summer.
All in all, be interesting to see whom we draft. It’s all happening!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Jamie.
I’m completely in agreement with you that we should avoid being hard capped, which primarily means not ‘receiving’ a player via S&T. I would also make exceptions to get a third star but in general, the hard cap makes it impossible to overpay your own players to keep them and limits actions on trades. It’s why I focused on adding players like Turner and Hield who are under contract.
Yeah, I was pretty supportive of the moves we made last offseason but in retrospect I think we were all in a euphoric state after winning the championship. When you look back, it’s hard to deny that a big factor was LeBron and AD getting four and half months off to get 100% healthy and rested. AND both of them having the best postseason shooting the three they ever had as a result. Obviously, we saw a completely different challenge this season with the injuries. Bottom line, lots to disagree in retrospect with the moves Rob made but that’s life in the NBA.
I think Indiana will trade Turner regardless of their listing him as core. The simple truth is a twin towers starting lineup with Myles and Sabonis just doesn’t work and Turner is too expensive to come off the bench and Sabonis is their future. I also agree there are likely to be teams who can offer more. I do think we could win the Turner deal if we went all in and included Kuzma and THT and the 2021 pick and I would do it if necessary as I think solidifying the center position is our top priority. Not only to solve the stretch five and rim protection issues but also to protect Davis’ health going forward. I do think we have pieces to get one great player and Turner would be my choice, even over a volume shooter like Hield. Bottom line, I’d be thrilled with Rose for NT MLE and Turner for Kuz, THT, and the 2021 first.
Rose is a short-term fill and would hopefully come for the NT MLE. There are other options like Lonzo, Lowry, Westbrook, CP3, etc. but would require taking a S&T guy which would hard cap us, which we both agree would not be good.
We may have to approach our rebuild as a two-step process, where we re-sign our own free agents in summer so we can trade them at the deadline. Or we can try to trade Schroder and Harrell via S&T deals for players under contract. I love the idea of maybe getting a shooter from Charlotte for a Harrell S&T or maybe a deal with the Raptors in a Schroder S&T. There aren’t as many teams with cap space as originally anticipated so there’s a good chance there will be teams who would like to add Schroder or Harrell but with S&T rather than cap space.
Drummond is the time bomb waiting to go off and screw the Lakers offseason. It still boggles me why the front office ever thought he could be the long term center for the Lakers. He can’t protect the rim or stretch the floor. And the only way we can sign a free agent is with the NT MLE. Wasting it on him rather than on a player like Rose would be a travesty. My biggest worry is Pelinka doubling down on Andre Drummond. When you look at the available centers who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, it’s hard not to see what a great fit Myles Turner would be on the Lakers. Again, I’d give Indiana whatever they want. A starting lineup with a Turner, Davis, James front court would be championship caliber and Davis is the perfect power forward to play with Turner. They would put a lid on the basket and Davis could go small when needed.
Yup, lots could have broken differently but between the moves made not panning out as hoped, the team’s overall shooting/scoring taking a dip and the massive amount of games lost due to injury/H&SP the hill was too high to conquer.
I’ll be surprised if Indy moves Turner before the trade deadline, likely not in the summer when they would hope that a new coach/system and another year together improves the on-court product. If having Turner at the 5 can work with AD they’ll see what Sabonis and Turner can do as that is, essentially, the same situation we are talking about creating here. Indy has Myles on a reasonable deal, he’s an elite defender signed until the season after next. Small market teams generally don’t trade impact for spare parts. They can (and should) get more than we can offer until well into the season if they move him this summer.
I think Rose will command a salary equivalent to Schroder. I would be surprised if he took such a small amount to come to a team where his role and influence are reduced. Frankly, he’s earned it and I’ll be surprised if New York (with ample cap space) doesn’t go a little over the line to keep him. He became the starting point guard, was in control of the offense and playing like D-Rose of old. If Julius had played anything like he did during the regular season they would be the darling dark horse show of the NBA playoffs and not Atlanta. That’s a lot to come here and hope LeBron and AD stay healthy and have enough in the tank come playoff time.
Thtat’s my big worry, in all honesty, these guys all know what LeBron has been able to accomplish and, like the rest of us, are wondering “is this the season he declines in a noticeable way?” That may hinder second tier stars looking to rebuild or up their rep. While nothing can compare to winning it all as a Laker, as we saw last season, the knives come out reeeeeeeal quick when we struggle or fail to meet expectations. Not saying it wouldn’t happen, just that I hope LeBron has his parabolic chamber sched in order, get that body reset.
I know one thing, the playoffs have been (for the most part) fun but the summer is where it’s going to get wild. With not as much cap space as expected the fish will feast early and it’ll come down to who can swing a major summer deal. The Lakers are also behind the 8 ball there as league rules won’t allow them to trade guys with newly minted deals until 3 months after the ink dries or 12/15. So it really just becomes a game of “What can we realistically expect to get for Kuz, KCP and…Alonzo McKinnie? Trezz if he opts in? Gasol if he doesn’t retire/go to Spain?” THT, Caruso, Matthews, McLemore, Schroder are all either going to sign a new deal with us or book it on out of town. When they do we won’t be able to move them for several months unless we S&T one. Same goes for this summer’s draft pick. Can’t be traded until 30 days after the draft and it’s going to be near the bottom of the 1st round. Not exactly a spot known to bew coveted because, as a first rounder, they’ll have a specific range of money coming their way.
Rob has his work cut out for him, that much is true. Going to be wacky and wild.