Lakers' most glaring needs after the first wave of free agency
The first wave of free agency has passed and the Los Angeles Lakers have remained relatively quiet. Thus far, general manager Rob Pelinka has limited himself to re-signing LeBron James and Max Christie after selecting Dalton Knecht and Bronny James at the 2024 NBA Draft.
Los Angeles' roster has enough talent to compete, if healthy, in 2024-25, but the need to improve in key areas of weakness persists.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are coming off of All-NBA seasons, and Austin Reaves produced the best averages of his career in 2023-24. D'Angelo Russell continues to be one of the most productive point guards in the NBA, while Rui Hachimura has flashed two-way potential.
It's also worth noting that Christie, Jalen Hood-Schifino, James, Knecht, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Gabe Vincent were either not on the roster or limited in their playing time in 2023-24.
As such, it's possible that new head coach JJ Redick can tap into the Lakers' existing potential. There's also hope that Christian Wood can get back to the productive ways that made him an intriguing addition for the minimum in 2023.
Whether it's through free agency, a trade, or player development, however, the bottom line is that the Lakers will fail to raise their ceiling if they're unable to improve in three crucial areas.
Offensive Rebounding
On the surface, the Lakers should be one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the NBA. Davis is one of the most dominant forces that the Association has to offer on the offensive glass, and Los Angeles should thus be able to capitalize on his presence.
Instead, Davis' individual brilliance hasn't yet translated to the team performing at the level they should be able to reach overall.
Davis finished the 2023-24 season ranked No. 1 in second-chance points and eighth in offensive rebounds per game. Unfortunately, the Lakers as a team were the polar opposite of their star big man in those same areas.
Despite Davis sitting atop the NBA, Los Angeles ranked dead last in both offensive rebounds and second-chance points—and there isn't a clear path to improvement.
A healthy Vanderbilt could help, as he boasts a career average of 3.6 offensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Wood could also contribute positively in that regard, although Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that he could be salary dumped if the Lakers attempt to create the taxpayer mid-level exception.
With trades and the MLE potentially coming into play, the Lakers must do their best to address one of their most crucial areas of weakness. It could otherwise derail them.