Jul 24, 2014; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak during a press conference at theToyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
3. Free Agency is the only option if the Lakers hope to make the playoffs again anytime soon.
What do Andrew Wiggins, Nerlens Noel, Elfrid Payton, and Jordan Clarkson have in common? They were top rookies this season all of whom played on the worst teams. Wiggins, who was rookie of the year, played on the worst team of all. Michael Carter Williams, rookie of the year the season before, played on the equally awful Philadelphia 76ers and has already been traded once. The fact is, other than the rarest of players like Magic Johnson or LeBron James, who come along once in a generation, rookies, no matter how good they are, do not contribute much to a winning record. It was a good two to three seasons before Bryant became the player who later dominated. So if the Lakers hope to turn things around sooner rather than later, they will need top tier free agents to do it.
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