The Los Angeles Lakers had a flawless offseason last time as they executed their plans to perfection. It was their goal to keep the core together. After all, this core helped the Lakers turn things around from last February. Initially, they were in no place to finish in the top ten. But Anthony Davis led the side pretty well, even in the absence of LeBron James. The King sustained a severe tendon injury for which he was out for almost a month. Among the new players who came in February to bring a new culture to the team’s locker room, D’Angelo Russell was one. He was superb in the regular season.
Russell, along with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Anthony Davis, helped the Lakers make the postseason. However, he failed to live up to the expectations when it really mattered. Many fans accused D’Lo of being the reason for the Laker’s failure in the Western Conference Finals. However, the Lakers still resigned him in the offseason with a two-year contract worth $37 million. But there is a good chance that the team might trade Russell and one more player in the next mid-season.
Lakers Can Trade D’Lo Russell And Christian Wood In The Mid-Season
Albeit, the NBA teams are heading toward the preseason. But that doesn’t mean the front office can’t change the roster. Rob Pelinka and co. can decide later on trading D’Angelo Russell and Christian Wood. Moreover, D’Lo has a player option in his second year. Russell’s salary is so hefty that the Lakers can use him for one-on-one trades with a salary-matching purpose. Or they can use Russell as a monetary centerpiece as well for a much bigger deal. Russell has many flaws in defense, and as a result, the Lakers benched him in the fag end of the season.
After all, the Lakers were facing the strongest attack of the season, the Denver Nuggets. On the other hand, Christian Wood is also not that strong in defense. Moreover, Wood doesn’t have a good reputation for playing the exact role his team and coach asked him to. Hence, it perfectly answers why a talented player like Wood was a free agent this off-season with a veteran’s minimum. But who knows, Christian Wood might work for the Lakers. However, there is a good possibility that the Lakers might trade him in the mid-season if he doesn’t follow the team’s orders.
The LA Side Learned The Value Of Depth And Balance Last Season
While the Lakers headed to free agency, there was tension mounting as Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura were restricted free agents. But the LA side wasted no time to extend their contracts for multi-years. The front office resigned Rui Hachimura on Day 1 with a three-year contract worth $51 million. Later, they ensured the emerging superstar Austin Reaves stayed with the franchise. Hence, the front office resigned the Hillbilly Kobe for four years with a contract worth $56 million. Moreover, the Lakers needed to maintain balance and depth in the roster.
Hence, they signed Gabe Vincent from the Miami Heat. Last season, the Heat was the runners-up. Moreover, the Lakers signed Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish. Fans had been waiting for a long time to see Reddish in the gold and purple color jersey in the NBA. Finally, their dream came true. Moreover, the LA side got reinforcements with young talents like Jaxson Hayes, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and so on. On top of that, the 17-time champions retained Jarred Vanderbilt from the last season.