Things appear to be in a state of confusion among the Los Angeles Lakers organization. To the NBA fans who might not be aware, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round of the ongoing playoffs by the Denver Nuggets and are currently in their offseason.
The Lakers have several issues to deal with if they hope to establish themselves as title contenders for next season. One of them involves LeBron James‘ future with the team and the upcoming NBA draft that will likely have Bronny James in it. While many may assume that the Lakers will do everything in their power to bring Bronny onto their team, recent reports suggest otherwise. That said, a closer look is required.
Senior reporter reveals that the Los Angeles Lakers are focused on acquiring a third star
Over the past few years, LeBron has made it quite clear that he wants to play alongside his son before ending his illustrious NBA career. Therefore, one might feel that it would be in the best interests of the Los Angeles Lakers to hold onto their upcoming draft pick and find a way to bring Bronny James onto their roster.
However, a senior reporter covering the Lakers named Jovan Buha revealed that the team had no such plans and were more interested in giving up their draft picks in order to add a third star to their roster.
“It will be the first time that they could use all three of their tradable first-round picks, and it’s a prime opportunity for them to potentially get either a third star… Whether that is a significant move like a trade for Trae Young or Donovan Mitchell or a smaller move bringing in a 3-and-D wing or another big man remains to be seen.”
The Lakers are looking to trade the No. 17 pick, per @jovanbuha
“ It will be the first time that they could use all three of their tradable first-round picks, and it’s a prime opportunity for them to potentially get either a third star… Whether that is a significant move like… pic.twitter.com/Pm9g6dwTSz
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 11, 2024
Buha added, “The Lakers are going to explore their options on draft night. My understanding is that they will be active and aggressive and try to use that pick.”
This is certainly an interesting stance for the Lakers to publicly take. After all, LeBron James might want to win a 5th NBA championship more than playing with his son. However, questions regarding what changes the Lakers could make continue to be a debate among fans.
Will the Lakers be able to make any significant moves this offseason?
After watching their series against the Nuggets, it is clear that the Lakers’ frontcourt is lacking. D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves are on the hot seat as a result. Since Reaves is the younger star and has less experience, he is not expected to offer much value in a trade.
If the Lakers wish to get a player such as Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young, they would have to offer a package consisting of multiple players such as Russel, Rui Hachimura, and others on their roster who did not live up to expectations. Moreover, the Lakers would also likely have to give up draft picks as the report indicates.In any case, fans are left wondering if the Lakers will gamble away their current roster in order to contend for an NBA title with LeBron James and Anthony Davis as their core players.