Los Angeles Lakers: 3 players from last season we wish stuck around

The Los Angeles Lakers had a lot of roster turnover this season. Many people wish these three players would have stuck around.

After five consecutive seasons of the Los Angeles Lakers missing the playoffs, they signed LeBron James to a 4-year contract, and pretty much any Lakers fan would’ve guaranteed the team would finally end its playoff drought this season.

Things like LeBron’s injury were out of anybody’s control, however, the roster should have looked a bit different than it does this season.

As the 2017-18 NBA season concluded, I begged and pleaded on comments sections of websites for the Lakers to re-sign a few players. These players had been a great fit that season, and they had some good chemistry going. I proclaimed the Lakers would make the playoffs if they simply brought back the exact same roster. In what would’ve been their second season with those players, they looked primed to make another leap ahead in the win column.

There are three specific players I was hoping the Lakers would re-sign that summer. Before I get to that, though, I’d like to touch on something else.

Not long ago, the Lakers led the league in bench points. Why? Because Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson would come off the bench and have their way with the opposing teams’ bench players. Lou Williams, especially, is a phenomenal closer. He finds a way to put the ball in the hole when it matters most.

After Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka took over the Lakers’ front office duties, the very first move they made was trading Williams. The only thing to show from that trade is Josh Hart.

They later traded Clarkson, weakening the bench production even more. Isaiah Thomas came to LA in the trade, but as of now, all they have to show for trading Clarkson (along with Larry Nance, Jr.) is cap space.

To have had a bench leading the league in points this season would have made a huge difference in the success of the team. But, alas, it is what it is. The BIG mistakes would be made following the 2017-18 season. So, here are the 3 players many Lakers fans and I wish were still on the team.