Los Angeles Lakers: 3 moves for a perfect Lakers offseason

Bring the Bench Back

One of the things that made this championship Los Angeles Lakers team so special and fun to watch was their team chemistry. These guys looked like they genuinely enjoyed being a team and fighting for wins as a band of brothers.

Sure, you need talent to win games, but they’ve got plenty of talent in those two guys we mentioned before. This season’s role players should not be forgotten. They are a major part of this team’s identity.

Unfortunately, with cap restrictions, it may be difficult to bring back every role player from this past season. So let’s consider this: Kentavious Caldwell Pope, Rajon Rondo, and Dwight Howard are certainly going to garner some interest from other teams thanks to their play throughout the season and/or in the bubble.

Rajon Rondo will probably want to stay, considering his comments about playing with LeBron James. Rondo is now 34 years old, so staying with two of the best players in the world is an appealing view from the backend of his career. So, for sake of argument, let’s say he’s back.

KCP is an interesting case. He will command a pay raise after his stellar play in the postseason, but he will have to ask himself if the raise is worth going to a lesser team. Were he to go elsewhere, he is not going to be better than the player he is with LeBron James. So the ball may be in his court, should the Lakers encourage him to accept his player option instead.

Dwight Howard is a comeback story for the ages. This time last season, many wondered if he would play for an NBA team again. Now, he will be highly sought after by contending teams. His high energy, defensive prowess, and commitment to playing his role makes him enticing for anyone trying to compete for a title.

Though he seemed to enjoy his time in LA, he is a sporadic and unpredictable character, so he is a shot in the dark. Still, Pelinka should consider it.

Similarly, JaVale McGee has done a fine job carving out a role on contending teams in recent years. His high energy on the court and the bench makes him the consummate teammate for a team looking to make a deep run.

The same can be said (somewhat) of Jared Dudley. If you’re in search of someone who is willing to sacrifice minutes for the sake of playing his role, look no further than Jared Dudley.

Dudz has done well for himself in becoming the locker room presence any team would want and every good team needs. He may not have played much, but he is a huge reason why the Lakers’ chemistry seemed to be so on point this season.

Markieff Morris was a late addition to the team but got some significant minutes as the season unfolded. The jury is out on what interest and offers he’ll get in free agency, but assuming the Knicks don’t throw a max contract at him, he’ll likely be laying low to see how other rosters fill out before making a decision.

He too seemed to enjoy his time in Purple & Gold this year, so it’s a distinct possibility that he’ll return on a similarly small contract.

The rest of the bench was made up of JR Smith and Dion Waiters, both of whom may stay or go. For hilarious sideline gifs, they should stay. For meaningful playing time and a pay raise, they should head elsewhere. Either way, they will not be priorities to the Lakers this offseason.

Ideally, running it back with as many of the names mentioned above as possible can’t be too much of a bad thing. If Rob Pelinka can find a way to bring back 4 or 5 of the bench unit, that would be considered a huge win. If there’s anyone who can find a way to do it, it’s him.

Closing Thoughts

I’m a huge advocate of the age-old expression, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, things that aren’t broken can still be improved, so, to me, a perfect offseason would be landing all the players previously listed.

If Rob Pelinka can find a way to make these moves happen, the Lakers could find themselves even more dominant than they were this last year. For a final look at what my ideal roster would look like, here is an outline of a potential LAL depth chart:

• Starting Five:
  • PG: LeBron James
  • SG: Danny Green
  • SF: Danilo Gallinari
  • PF: Anthony Davis
  • C: Dwight Howard
• Second Unit:
  • Rajon Rondo
  • Alex Caruso
  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
  • Kyle Kuzma
  • DeMarcus Cousins
• Third String:
  • Quinn Cook
  • Talen Horton-Tucker
  • Jared Dudley
  • Markieff Morris
  • JaVale McGee

Would you be satisfied with this offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers? Let us know in the comments down below!