Los Angeles Lakers: 5 steps to championship contention

2. The Lakers need to commit to players for more than a year

The Lakers have spent the last number of years signing players to one-year deals to maintain cap space for a superstar free agent, with numerous mercenaries coming through the door. No culture is capable of being built. No consistency in the locker room has led to no consistency on the basketball court.

It is now time to commit, to build a culture and to let players know that they can call this place home for more than a year. The main problem with one-year deals is that a player is playing for their next contract. They are going to be focusing on their numbers and not the team as a collective.

Offering a player a three-year deal with the 3rd year a team option would be enough to show players coming to the Lakers that they are willing to commit to them and allow them time to buy into the team culture and to build together. With Brandon Ingram being the longest tenured player on the Lakers, something needs to change.

Players who should be considered for these sort of contracts are the likes of Danny Green, Tyreke Evans, Patrick Beverley and Dewayne Dedmon. They all would be perfect additions to the Lakers squad, offering experience as veterans and shooting, with the ultimate goal of working towards winning a championship.