Where is the gap for the Lakers?
The Los Angeles Lakers completely rebuilt their roster in the offseason, losing five rotation players via trade or free agency.
LeBron James, Luke Kennard, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton, and Jaxson Hayes are all out.
Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Collin Sexton, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, Jaden Hardy, Ziaire Williams, Matisse Thybulle and rookie Cameron Carr are all in.
Returning is Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Bronny James, and Adou Thiero.
The reason behind such a turnover was to put a roster around Luka Doncic that better complemented his skills and added depth instead of sticking with a big three approach that lacked depth.
The Biggest Hole
While the Lakers did a very good job adding depth to the team, there is still some gaps in the frontcourt.
The front office seems to agree, as they were targeting Jonathan Kuminga the entire offseason before he signed a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers offered him more money at the start of the offseason and were willing to offer him more money if a sign-and-trade could’ve been worked out with the Atlanta Hawks.
The team was also keeping tabs on Nick Richards, a 28-year-old center who signed with the Miami Heat.
Kessler and Mamukelashvili should eat the majority of the frontcourt minutes, but Looney has declined from his peak as one of the best rebounders in the league and Vanderbilt’s name has been involved in many trade rumors as the team attempts to move on from his contract and decline in play.
In evaluating all those options, it’s clear the Lakers still aren’t fully sold on the frontcourt depth and were looking to keep the lineup competitive.
What’s Next?
The options moving forward are pretty bleak. They could add veterans Kelly Olynyk or Maxi Kleber, who was on the team last season, but neither option is better than what they already have.
The Lakers are already one contract over the limit and will need to make a decision on who to cut before the season begins. Adding another contract would mean two players would have to go.
The best option for the Lakers would be to see how the season shakes out and then use the plethora of guards and wings as trade chips for frontcourt help. Not every guard and wing will be able to play, and there will be a minutes crunch, leaving a couple of capable players without a spot in the rotation.
