The Los Angeles Lakers will be different next season, even with an NBA Championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from being NBA Champions and while the job is not yet finished, every Laker fan in the world is started to taste that sweet taste of victory.
We have learned a lot about the team in the NBA Playoffs. LeBron James is still great, but Anthony Davis is the future of the team. Playoff Rondo might actually be a real thing. Markieff Morris might carve out a role on the Lakers beyond 2020.
We have also learned some negative things about the team. Not every player has played great in the NBA Playoffs, with some players even playing their way out of LA. Based on their performances in the playoffs, these three players probably won’t be on next year’s team, whether it be from free agency or trades.
1. JaVale McGee
JaVale McGee has a player option worth $4.2 million next season so it may seem like the Los Angeles Lakers are stuck with the big man. However, that can easily be worked around via a trade. McGee can be packaged in something bigger and there probably would be a team that would take just McGee for a future second-round pick.
Regardless, as the playoffs have gone on it has become clear that Dwight Howard is the better of the two veteran big men with Howard getting all of the center minutes in the second half of the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals.
If the Lakers do not plan on bringing in another center then McGee is probably safe. However, I would not rule out the possibility of DeMarcus Cousins returning to the Lakers, opening the door for the team to get rid of McGee and keep Howard as the team’s veteran bench center.