LeBron is undecided on his Lakers future.
LeBron James declined to comment on his future with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Unknown – Sports
NBA playoffs are a teachable moment.
Lessons are taught, learned.
Among the main takeaways Denver Nuggets–Los Angeles Lakers Series: The Lakers don’t have a championship roster compared to the Nuggets, and the gulf is wide on the best-of-7 series.
The proof is in the results. The Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last season and the same result was seen in Denver’s 4-1 sweep of the Lakers this season.
Denver ended the Lakers’ season at A 108-106 victory in Game 5 on Monday. Jamal Murray’s 14-foot jumper with four seconds left propelled the Nuggets into the conference semifinals, where they will face the tournament. Minnesota Timberwolves. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had 25 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists, Murray had 32 points and seven assists, and Michael Porter Jr. added 26 points.
Now the Lakers enter another season looking for answers with the top teams in the Deep West — Denver, Oklahoma City and Minnesota — set for the upcoming seasons.
The Lakers did not make a move at the February trade deadline, despite exploring potential trades.
“You can’t buy a house that’s not for sale,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said about three months ago. “My job is always to find ways to improve our inventory, but you can’t buy a house that doesn’t sell. We’ve spent a lot of time looking for ways to use assets to make our team better.”
In non-real estate talk, it wasn’t an ideal trade for the Lakers to make. Also, the Lakers only had one first-round pick to send to another team at the trade deadline — not exactly the attractive assets the other team was looking for in a deal for a star-caliber player.
However, this summer, the Lakers may have three first-round picks and that opens up their ability to improve the roster.
“This summer, in June, when the draft comes out, we’ll have three first-round draft picks to look for deals, which I think opens up the possibility of a big or big swing,” Pelinka said in February after the trade deadline. It leads to too little progress to make a bigger and more impactful move in a month.
Where do the Lakers go from here?
Who is under contract for the Lakers in 2024-25?
LeBron James (has a player option and can become a free agent)
Anthony Davis
D’Angelo Russell (has a player option and can become a free agent)
Rui Hachimura
Austin Reaves
Gabe Vincent
Jared Vanderbilt
Jalen Hood-Schifino
Christian Wood (has a player option and can become a free agent)
Cam Reddish (has a player option and can become a free agent)
Jaxson Hayes (has a player option and can become a free agent)
Maxwell Lewis
Who is a free agent off the Lakers roster?
NBA Playoffs Spectator’s Guide: Top Matchups to Watch
USA TODAY Sports’ Jeff Zilgit breaks down his must-watch matchups in the NBA Playoffs.
Max Christie (Restricted Free Agent)
Skylar Mays (Restricted Free Agent)
Colin Castleton (Restricted Free Agent)
Spencer Dinwiddie (Unrestricted Free Agent)
Taurian Prince (Unrestricted Free Agent)
Harry Giles (Unrestricted Free Agent)
How much salary cap space do the Lakers have?
The Lakers don’t have the salary cap space to make a significant free agent signing. After James’ return, it was estimated that they would exceed the luxury tax. You’ll find low-wage and mid-level exceptions to bolster the roster.
Major activities need to be done through trade.
The Lakers have the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft, but New Orleans has the right to take that pick (as part of the Anthony Davis trade) or the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2025. Round of elections in 2024.
What do the Lakers want?
Percentage wise, the Lakers were a solid 3-point shooting team at 37.7 percent. But there were 28Th 3-point attempts per game (31.4) and 24Th 3s made per game (11.8). The Lakers led to an average offense – No. 15 in the league at 115.4 points per 100 possessions.
Getting offensive help is a must, and guard help is at the top of the list.
The Lakers also need good health, which Lakers coach Darwin Hamm said is key to boosting a roster that had some strong regular season seasons. Due to injuries to Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent and Jared Vanderbilt, they have been without their full roster for much of the season.
Will Darwin Hamm return to coach the Lakers?
Hamm has had his ups and downs as the Lakers’ coach, and as noted, he hasn’t had a healthy roster to work with. Hamm appears to have the support of his wife Jenny Buss, but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed to return for a third season.