There is only one word to describe the Los Angeles Lakers thus far this season: disappointing. The Lakers are currently two games under .500 at the time of writing this in a season in which they were the bonafide favorites to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
The Lakers have not only seen their place get taken by the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz, but they have looked nothing like a contender at all. In fact, at this point, it feels more likely that the Lakers will miss the playoffs than it is that they will make the NBA Finals.
There is only so much the Lakers can do. The team is likely not going to make a super impactful trade and the best potential buyout target from before the season no longer seems like a possibility. At this point in the year, the Lakers’ best route by be addition by subtraction.
If that is the case, there are several players that the Los Angeles Lakers should move on from.
Because of the surge of COVID-19 cases, we probably won’t see the Lakers outright release anyone any time soon. However, as soon as the team gets over this hurdle there are several players that the Lakers should move on from to create room for new players.
Guys like Stanley Johnson who actually give the team what it needs is what the Lakers should be prioritizing right now. That comes at the cost of letting go of other players.