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

1. Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez fit flawlessly into the system last season. His soft touch around the basket and rim protection made him the best center they’d had in a while. He set hard screens, he bought into the system on defense, he was a good locker room veteran, and he loved being a Laker.

Most importantly, he had developed a reliable 3-point shot the season before he ended up on the Lakers. He was the perfect stretch-5. To have seen LeBron kick the ball out to Lopez to drain open 3’s would’ve been a thing of beauty. The spacing he creates could’ve changed this whole season.

Why he wasn’t re-signed makes no sense to me. He wanted to stay with the Lakers. He was willing to take a pay cut to stay. But the front office decided to let him walk. He joined Milwaukee on an extremely team-friendly contract, making $3.3 million this season.

And the Milwaukee Bucks? Well, they’re doing pretty darn good right now. To have had Lopez instead of Lance Stephenson or Michael Beasley could have made all the difference this season.

Now I certainly don’t think I could do a better job than Magic Johnson, but I think letting Randle and Lopez walk away was not smart.

These guys, who had developed chemistry, and were fitting in perfectly, were let go in favor of signing guys like Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Michael Beasley.

They also whiffed big time by not taking advantage of the DeMarcus Cousins situation. A rare opportunity to get one of the game’s most elite centers on a super team-friendly contract was missed, as he is only making $5.3 million this season. Oh, and he can knock down 3’s, too.

I realize Cousins and Thomas both would’ve missed a huge portion of the season, but they would be back by now, and the Lakers could be reaping the benefits.

In conclusion, I wish LeBron was surrounded by guys like Lou Williams, Julius Randle, Brook Lopez/DeMarcus Cousins, and Isaiah Thomas this season.

What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below