The Lakers continue to struggle as their winning percentage has dipped below 20 percent. The only thing fans can really cheer for is Kobe Bryant in his farewell NBA season.
But what about next year? What will the Lakers look like after Kobe has moved on to new challenges?
Only six current players are signed for next season: guards D’Angelo Russell, Lou Williams and Nick Young, and forwards Anthony Brown, Larry Nance Jr.and Julius Randle.
Russell, Randle, Nance and Brown represent the youthful nucleus of the team’s future hopes. In all likelihood, they will be joined by guard Jordan Clarkson, who is a restricted free agent. Indications are that the front office likes Clarkson and plans to re-sign him to a longer-term contract, or match any offers he receives.
Some have speculated that Williams could be traded. Lakers management like his ability to score, and he has two years remaining on a modestly-valued contract ($7 million per year). It would take a compelling offer to move him, so chances are he will be back.
Young, of course, is a different story. He has fallen out of favor with Coach Bryon Scott, and accordingly out of the playing rotation. Even given his questionable shot selection, he still can be a good, sometimes great scorer for the right team- just as JR Smith has been for Cleveland. Some offensively-deprived NBA team should be willing to take a chance on Young. So look for the Lakers to deal him, likely before the trade deadline.
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That still leaves a roster with only five or six players and no centers, so GM Mitch Kupchak has his work cut out for him. He might engineer a trade or two this season, not only for Young but perhaps for center Roy Hibbert and/or power forward Brandon Bass, who Scott has used in the back-up center role.
It’s doubtful Kupchak is interested in getting back only draft picks or unproven younger players. With five youngsters (including Clarkson), his preference is to surround them with more experienced teammates.
Both Hibbert and Bass have expiring contracts, so Mitch likely seeks veterans in exchange who are signed for at least another year. Any prospective deal won’t be a blockbuster, but it could provide a good role player or two.
The only other big men on the current roster are Robert Sacre and Tarik Black. Sacre has demonstrated once again this year that he merely is a third-string NBA center. Even if Kupchak re-signs him, he will have little impact on the team next year.
Black is a different story. He was signed a year ago as an under-sized center and quickly became a fan favorite for his compensating energy and hustle. Yet for some mysterious, inexplicable reason, Scott has buried him deep on the bench for much of the season. He’s a player Kupchak might well want to re-sign, but as a free agent Black might prefer a change of scenery to a team where he’s more appreciated.
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Undrafted center Robert Upshaw remains on the Defenders D-League roster. His play there has been largely unimpressive. Although his size and skills still offer tantalizing NBA potential, he’s not yet ready for prime-time.
Fans are hopeful the team will hold onto its first round draft pick. The Lakers still have the second-worst record in the NBA, with three more wins than the 76ers, three less than the Nets, and five fewer than both the Suns and Timberwolves. They need to finish in the top three in the May 17th lottery or else the pick is traded to Philadelphia.
If they do manage to keep the pick, no collegiate or international center appears to project as an NBA star worthy of being chosen in the top three. Instead the Lakers would likely choose a small forward like Ben Simmons of LSU or Brandon Ingram of Duke.
So Kupchak will likely turn to the free agent market to fill the hole at center. Targets there include Miami’s Hassan Whiteside or Golden State’s Festus Ezeli, or possibly Dallas’ Zaza Pachulia or Cleveland’s Timofey Mozgov.
Most Laker fans dream of signing the top free agent to be, superstar Kevin Durant. But chances are he wants to go with a team that is ready to win or at least contend for a title now, and the Lakers don’t yet qualify.
The team might have better luck signing a reasonably high-quality free agent like Nicholas Batum or Harrison Barnes. Add a player like that along with a center from the list above onto a roster headed by Russell-Randle-Clarkson-Nance-Brown-Williams. Then sprinkle in a few other veteran role players and hopefully a top-3 draft pick, and that’s a snapshot of what the Lakers could look like next year.
Next: Lakers Trade Prospects: Markieff Morris Breakdown
It might not be championship quality… yet. But if the youngsters all continue to improve, the roster offers promise and hope that a return to greatness is a distinct possibility in the not-so-distant future for Lakerland.