We take a look at five players that may not return to the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2020-21 season.
The Los Angeles Lakers were having an excellent season before the coronavirus outbreak led to the NBA suspending operations. Los Angeles is atop the Western Conference by 5.5 games over their STAPLES Center co-tenants, the LA Clippers. The only team with a better record than the Lakers in the league is the Milwaukee Bucks, who are steamrolling the Eastern Conference.
LeBron James has taken all of the negativity thrown his way and has turned in an excellent season on both ends of the court. His new running mate, Anthony Davis, has been everything James and the organization had hoped for an more. It wasn’t cheap to acquire him from the New Orleans Pelicans, but it has been worth the price. James recently heaped praise on his teammate for his performance.
The role players have also performed well. The Lakers were hopeful that Kyle Kuzma would be their third star, a go-to scorer for the team off the bench. While he has been inconsistent at times, he was beginning to find his groove before the suspension.
The Lakers have been fortunate to receive contributions throughout the rest of their roster. Avery Bradley, Danny Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso have all shined at one time or another. Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee are a force to be reckoned with on the interior. Rajon Rondo, while frustrating at times, has had some big performances as the main ball handler.
This year’s Lakers team are legitimate contenders. If the NBA can resume the season, they will be there right up until the end. However, as we have seen with every contending team, it is difficult to keep everyone around for multiple seasons as the price of contracts increases.
These five players, while they may help the Lakers toward the goal of winning a title this campaign, may not be back for the 2020-21 season.