The Los Angeles Lakers have had a very busy offseason between the NBA Draft and NBA Free Agency. Team President, Magic Johnson, believes that they have improved.
Since taking over as the President of the Los Angeles Lakers, Magic Johnson has been retooling the roster.
This offseason, Johnson made the decision to trade D’Angelo Russell along with the awful contract of Timofey Mozgov in exchange for Brook Lopez and the 27th overall pick. Johnson received a lot of heat for this decision, but he had to part ways with something valuable in order to get rid of the Mosgov mistake.
In addition to getting the best player in that deal, the 27th overall pick turned out to be Kyle Kuzma. As part of the Lakers Summer League team, Kuzma averaged over 20 points per game and was also named the Finals MVP.
Of course, the big prize in the draft for the Lakers was Lonzo Ball. Despite a slow start in the Summer League, Ball went on to dominate the tournament. With two triple-doubles, and a 36-point game. After a few games in Summer League, it is clear that Ball is going to be the starting point guard for the Lakers to start the season.
With their eyes set on the 2018 offseason, the Lakers weren’t very active in free agency this offseason. However, they were able to land a very talented player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Coming from the Detroit Pistons, Caldwell-Pope will be a huge boost for the Lakers defensively. Also, he has a good three-point shot and should fit nicely in the backcourt with Lonzo Ball.
Overall, the Lakers’ roster is looking pretty good right now. While the Western Conference is very difficult, Magic is happy with the direction the team is going in.
"We're already better. The roster is more balanced." Magic Johnson says of what kind of jump he can see the Lakers taking this year.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) July 18, 2017
Even though the Russell trade was controversial, there is no denying that the Lakers’ roster looks good on paper. They have a lot of depth at the forward position, and also have one of the best offensive centers in the NBA now.
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For Johnson, he should be pleased by a job well done so far. With a good young core and cap space for next season, the Lakers could be one of the best teams in the NBA within the next few years.