Suffice to say, the Los Angeles Lakers are in a dilly of a pickle at the moment. The team has been struggling to stay afloat due to LeBron James and Anthony Davis being injured and nobody knows when either of them will return.
While the Lakers are still clinging onto the West’s No. 4 seed as of when this was written, they may not stay there for long. The Nuggets and Trail Blazers are a measly half-game behind the purple and gold in the standings. As a result, it is very possible Los Angeles could continue to experience dark times in the days to come.
On a positive note, the Lakers did recently acquire big man Andre Drummond via the buyout market. Adding a piece of Drummond’s caliber certainly improves the team’s frontcourt situation given that their two stars remain sidelined. Despite the toe injury he sustained Wednesday night, he is a rebounding machine and gives the Lakers another true center.
Simply put, the team’s other true center, Marc Gasol, has not lived up to expectations this season. Granted, Gasol is an experienced veteran and is also a smart passer, it is hard to argue the Spaniard is a force to be reckoned with at this stage in his career. His best days are behind him.
Consequently, the need for a player like Drummond became increasingly evident as the season progressed. The Lakers are very lucky to have him now because he gives them more of a size advantage. Although Montrezl Harrell has generally thrived off the bench this season, he tends to struggle against more traditional centers.
Albeit adding Drummond instantly bolsters this team’s chances, one could argue the Lakers need more help to put themselves over the top. The 17-time world champions have one more roster spot up for grabs, so they may continue to be aggressive on the buyout market.
Frank Vogel is fully aware of the team’s vacant spot and recently commented that the Lakers will be proactive in their search for another piece. However, per Matt Peralta of Lakers Nation, Vogel revealed that L.A. is not “targeting a specific skill set.”
"“I’m not sure where that’s going to fall, but we’ll continue to monitor what guys come available,” Vogel said.“I’m not really going to get into specific team needs or positional needs we’re directing that towards, it’s really more about probably what players become available that have the most intrigue and we feel could help us out the most rather than targeting a specific skill set or something like that.”"
While Vogel was far from specific in his comments, he appears to understand the predicament the Lakers are in. Because the trade deadline has passed, the Lakers’ lone option as far as adding talent is the buyout market.
That being said, it makes it a little harder to gauge who the Los Angeles Lakers could get.
What the Los Angeles Lakers do moving forward is predicated on what other teams decide to do with potential buyout candidates.
At the bare minimum, Vogel is correct about the following. Notwithstanding the Drummond acquisition, the team could still use some extra “help.”
Contrary to what Vogel said, though, the Lakers could really use someone who possesses “a specific skill set.” The game against Milwaukee Wednesday night made the team’s needs even more evident than they already were.
The Bucks destroyed the Lakers from behind the arc, whereas the Lakers could hardly get one to go from downtown after the first quarter. On that note, the kind of player that would be worth pursuing for Los Angeles would be one of the 3-and-D variety.
For what it is worth, there are previous reports that the Lakers could indeed be on the lookout for such a player. According to Christian Rivas of Silver Screen & Roll (originally via Jovan Buha and Jared Weiss of The Athletic), the defending champions plan to go after a 3-and-D player to fill their 15th roster spot.
"“The Lakers are currently at $137.53 million in total salary with about $1.39 million to spare under the hard cap. With the Lakers roster at 14, it meets the league minimum number of players on board. The Lakers are expected to pursue a 3-and-D wing with their final roster spot, per sources.”"
As Vogel insinuated, the market is not exactly clear at this point in time. Nonetheless, the Lakers are in dire need of a player who can efficiently shoot the rock from the promised land. None of the squad’s role players have been consistent from that distance.
Additionally, it is reasonable to say the team could use someone with a defensive reputation. Even when LeBron and AD come back, guarding players like Giannis Antetokounmpo is easier said than done.
It is worth noting teams like the Clippers have two extremely talented wings as well. Let alone their locker room rivals, the Brooklyn Nets are stacked to the brim, whereas the No. 1 seeded Utah Jazz have a lot of perimeter weapons. The Lakers have not had success against any of those squads this season.
Therefore, the Lakers could truly use an extra set of hands on both sides of the ball. They will have a ton of competition in their quest to repeat for a title, so looking at a 3-and-D player is imperative.
Orlando Magic wing Otto Porter Jr. is certainly worth consideration if he gets bought out. Porter Jr. was part of the package that sent star center Nikola Vucevic to the Windy City.
The former Bull is shooting a respectable 39 percent from long range this season. Additionally, he is relatively athletic and has enough length in being 6-foot-8 to guard skilled wings. Thus, if he becomes available, the Lakers will want to bear him in mind.
Another option the Lakers should ponder if he gets bought out is a reunion with Avery Bradley. Bradley was traded to Houston last week and may not see the court a whole lot with his new squad.
Bradley has converted a little over 36 percent of attempts from 3-point territory this season. He is a hard-nosed, gritty defender and would be a great addition to the group since he is already familiar with Vogel’s playbook.
Without a doubt, either of those players would be a welcome addition to the Lakers given their skill sets. However, the downside for the Lakers is as follows. As Rivas astutely pointed out, it is not a foregone conclusion that those guys are bought out.
That being said, what the Lakers choose to do with their final roster spot is up in the air. Despite the uncertainty, though, one can be sure that the team will be vigilant in the coming days.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ lone mission is to repeat as champions. For that reason, it is safe to say they will do everything in their power to improve the team.