The Los Angeles Lakers season has officially come to a close and the page has now turned to focusing on the upcoming offseason to maximize the team’s chances at winning the NBA Championship in 2024.
As is the case every offseason, there is going to be some roster turnover for the Lakers that will result in players finding new homes for the 2023-24 season. Thankfully, the Lakers have more foundational pieces set in place this offseason but there are still some familiar faces that fans should be prepared to say goodbye to.
6 Lakers who won’t be returning next season:
1. D’Angelo Russell
The Western Conference Finals were really bad for D’Angelo Russell. Russell put together several solid performances in the playoffs and it seemed like he punched his ticket to come back to the Lakers as a result.
However, the Nuggets were able to do something that the Grizzlies and Warriors could not do and that was attack Russell’s weaknesses. Russell was a defensive liability and was making poor decisions on the offensive end that hurt the team.
There is a case to be made that the Lakers are better off just bringing Russell back so they do not lose the asset altogether. However, this ownership group probably doesn’t want to go over the tax again and has to pay Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Russell’s Western Conference Finals just made the inevitable decision easier for the front office.