Los Angeles Lakers: Young core vs superstar addition

What path should the Los Angeles Lakers take? Continue to develop the young core or go all in for a superstar?

With the 7th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Julius Randle from the University of Kentucky. With those 22 words, the youth movement in LA had begun.

Begrudgingly, Lakers fans had to accept that for the next number of years, the championship window was closed.

Over that four year period, Lakers fans had learned to embrace the youth movement. Not since the days of Eddie Jones, Cedric Ceballos, Nick Van Exel and Vlade Divac had there been this much excitement about the Lakers young prospects.

July 1st, 2018, everything changed. The Undisputed King, the heir to the throne, LeBron James, signs with the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year deal for $153.3 million.

The Lakers had finally landed the Crown Jewel that they had so long been searching for since Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles. However, all did not go as planned for Magic Johnson and Co.

The year-long courting of Indiana Pacer superstar small forward Paul George had backfired. They had been fined by the league for tampering and had refused to give up any players of value in a trade as they were confident about landing him in free agency.

That didn’t happen as they failed to even secure a meeting with George during free agency period with George rapidly re-signing with Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This forced the Lakers to rethink and plot for next year. There are plenty of excellent targets this offseason in Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving.

The news coming out of Laker land was that LeBron really likes the Lakers young core and was more than willing to play with them this year without the aide of a second superstar. A glowing review from one of the games greatest minds.

Fast forward several months and the Lakers young core now consists of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, Isaac Bonga and Moritz Wagner. However, one lengthy LeBron groin injury and the outlook and trajectory of the young Lakers has changed significantly.

LeBron, during this injury period, seems to have considered his basketball mortality as he learned he is no longer indestructible. It is during this time fellow Klutch client Anthony Davis and his agent Rich Paul made it known that Davis has asked for a trade request with his preferred destinations being the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Klutch Sports Agent Rich Paul spotted their chance to build a potential dynasty with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and in a remarkably public fashion, jump at the opportunity. Every single possible trade chip at Dell Demps and the New Orleans Pelicans, including every member of the previously lauded young core, was thrown in offers.

Similar to the Paul George and Kawhi Leonard trade discussions, things did not end well for the Lakers with their open tampering causing the Pelicans to act in bad faith towards them in any deal involving Anthony Davis.

In the aftermath of this debacle, the Lakers are left to pick up the pieces, with veterans and youngster alike living with the fact that they were all considered expendable in a trade for Davis. This manifests into a 42 point drumming by the Victor Oladipo-less Indiana Pacers.

In the wake of all of this madness, two questions come to mind. Are the young core worth the time and effort to develop, or should a ready-made star be brought in to help the Lakers compete immediately?

Young Core Case

The Los Angeles Lakers have drafted very well in recent years with the significant help from Ryan West and Jesse Buss. Two of the original Laker draftees who have since moved on from LA have finally begun to show their significant promise.

Julius Randle is currently a double-double machine for the New Orleans Pelicans, capable of dominating on the boards and is almost impossible to stop when he gets a full head of steam.

D’Angelo Russell has reached a new level this season. Russell has been able to cash in on the immense talent each Laker fan knew he had. He has shown this season his immense ability to score, to orchestrate an offense and to be a stellar passer for such a young player.

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Looking at Russell and Randle makes one think, that if given enough time, can the Lakers youngsters reach their lofty potential?

The main complaint about the Lakers young core is their inconsistency, showing flashes of brilliance followed by a lackluster and mundane showing. Part of this can be the result of being very young with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram both 21 years of age. Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart the older members of the young core being a mature 23 years old.

Alex Regla of Silver Screen and Roll provided very interesting stats for Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma over the last 15 games. Ingram is posting: 21.8 | 5.3 | 3.3 (62 TS%) while Kuzma is averaging: 19.5 | 4.2 | 2.5 (58 TS%). If Ingram and Kuzma can do this on a consistent basis then the Lakers could have two potential All-Stars on their hands.

Superstar Case:

A ready-made proven superstar is hard to argue against. You know what you are getting from Anthony Davis.

You’re getting a defensive juggernaut who locks down the paint and is able to guard on the perimeter, along with a double-double machine who can score in virtually any way you need. You also get a guaranteed building piece for when LeBron retires who can carry the Lakers into the next decade.

The ideal scenario for the Lakers is to land a superstar such as Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson or Kyrie Irving with their cap space and then trade all of the young core and the 2019 pick to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis.

Depending on the timing of the deal, the Lakers might be able to hold onto someone like Kyle Kuzma but it might require a free agent taking fractionally less than the max.

It is easy to debate either side. I’d tend to lean towards the young core. They have shown in brief spurts the ability to be All-Stars in their own right.

Kuzma, with his ability to be a big-time scorer, is the perfect modern-day stretch-4. Ingram, who has shown himself to be a remarkably versatile scorer who is capable of being the primary ball handler and has the length that allows him to guard all five positions.

Finally, there’s Lonzo Ball, one of the premier young defensive guards in the NBA in his second season. He’s one of the best and most creative passers in the game who can influence the outcome of a game without even scoring is improving as a shooter.

The ideal scenario for the Los Angeles Lakers is freeing up the necessary cap space to land a superstar this summer and hoping that one or more of the young core becomes an All-Star with Kuzma and Ingram currently looking like the early favorite for this honor.

If you thought the Lakers offseason last year was exciting, you ain’t seen nothing yet.