Hello everyone, I’m Dan Woike from the LA Times, and welcome to a “weekend-ready” edition of the Lakers newsletter. The only time a week I can review the lyrics of songs I love to make sure they are safe for work.
There’s a lot going on with the Lakers right now. They have been holding Draft workouts with the almost certain anticipation that New Orleans will defer and take the team’s 2025 first-round pick and not this year’s No. 17 to complete the Anthony Davis trade. The Pelicans have reportedly done it. They had in-person, organization-wide interviews with a coaching candidate (Jim Borrego).
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And there’s this whole annoying business of improving the roster which, you know, is the big priority this summer.
So yeah, I’ve been busy. Let’s go to the newsletter.
Win at the edges
Derrick Jones Jr., a player who had four different NBA employers before signing a minimum contract with Dallas last summer, looked like he was in some kind of trance as he walked off the court in Minnesota on Thursday night.
After the Mavericks knocked the Timberwolves out of the playoffs and earned a berth in the NBA Finals, images of Jones sliding down the back of the building toward the locker room were shared on social media — the kind of image that reaffirms one’s of the biggest Conclusions of this postseason.
While the Mavericks, of course, don’t make the Finals without Luka Doncic’s absurd shooting and while, of course, they don’t play without hitting a home run in their Kyrie Irving bid, their work to build around their stars is one of the main reasons why they have the opportunity to win a title.
Talk to the Mavericks front office and coaching staff to find out how to optimize your role players, finding affordable pieces that might have been undervalued elsewhere in building your roster around your superstars.
The team they beat, Minnesota, got their biggest deals right, but also stumbled on a key piece in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a big reason for sweeping the Phoenix Suns before they struggled in the conference finals.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, the team Dallas sent against Minnesota, got big minutes from Isaiah Joe, who the Philadelphia 76ers released completely before landing in OKC.
In the East, the Boston Celtics landed a two-way star in their trade for Derrick White. The New York Knicks, one of the most important stories of the first two rounds, showed Josh Hart as a leading player.
All of these players, with different trajectories and roles on their current teams, had a winning impact for a relatively low investment: White cost the Celtics a first-round pick, a trade and a filler, and Hart cost the Knicks a late first round pick.
While trade machine calculations and photo alterations of jersey swaps may have fans fantasizing about Trae Young or some other All-Star player, the margins are where the Lakers roster has to improve the most. .
Rui Hachimura, a player they got for a handful of second-round picks two years ago, fit the bill in last year’s postseason. So did Lonnie Walker IV, who had a monster game against the Warriors in the second round.
Forward Rui Hachimura, who drove to the basket against Hawks forward Jalen Johnson last season, could be one of the few players the Lakers trade to rebuild the roster this offseason.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
But this season, the Lakers never got that kind of push from players beyond their top stars. In their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers’ bench players shot just 31.5% from the field. Nobody took shifts the way you’d want your non-stars to in the postseason, the stretches that often decide who wins.
The problem is that this summer there is not a particularly strong class of free agent talent, leaving the Lakers (and every other organization) in the hunt for these types of players.
With the Lakers currently on guard, he mainly avoided defensive players.
For our purposes, after talking about this with talent evaluators from multiple NBA teams, I’m going to break them down into a few different categories.
investments
Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija, Malcolm Brogdon, Keldon Johnson, Bruce Brown, Dorian Finney-Smith
These players will cost you something (a draft pick, maybe two) and an outgoing salary that would alter the current roster significantly.
The Lakers know how Kuzma can impact wins (they’ve seen it), but the question would be about his desire to return to that type of complementary role after being a primary offensive option in Washington.
Speaking of the Wizards, Avdija is a player that many scouts and executives like because of his intelligence and toughness. But, if other people like him, that certainly means the Wizards like him too. That means he will be expensive.
With Brogdon, you’re taking on some injury risk for a player who has affected games on both ends of the floor in the past. Perhaps his expiring contract with the Portland Trail Blazers will lower the price below a first-round pick.
Some of the shine has worn off of Brown after he left Denver and finished the season in Toronto, where his three-point shooting took a hit this season. His $20 million team option is one of the fun offseason subplots in free agency geekdom.
Raptors forward Bruce Brown shoots between Orlando’s Caleb Houstan (left) and Moritz Wagner. Brown is the type of two-way player the Lakers could try to acquire this offseason.
(Phelan M. Ebenhack/KeynoteUSA)
And Johnson finds himself in a fascinating situation, relegated to a bench role last season in San Antonio while Victor Wembanyama flourished. Is Johnson an empty calorie scorer who doesn’t impact winning or is the two-way potential of him?
Finney-Smith was throwing the ball incredibly well last season for Brooklyn before a prolonged slump over the past two months. Additionally, like some of the other players on this list, there is a question as to whether all the miles put in as a primary defender have taken a toll on his body.
In all of these scenarios, the Lakers will almost certainly send at least one first-round pick and, to match salaries, players from a group of Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent (and perhaps D’Angelo Russell if he exercises his player option). And remember, those are the type of players the Lakers acquired for the same reasons they would now target guys from this group.
Free agent wings ready to go
Isaac Okoro, Naji Marshall, Buddy Hield, Kelly Oubre Jr.
Okoro would be more expensive: a restricted free agent who showed real offensive growth while also possessing the defensive tools the team values. Would Cleveland simply match an offer at the mid-tier of taxpayers? The general feeling is that there would at least be talks, so there would possibly be a window for a team to land the 23-year-old wing.
Marshall is a favorite of some evaluators because of his toughness, coupled with an explosion of shooting this season, when he shot nearly 39% on low-volume opportunities. He is a natural target for many teams, a player who could use a change of scenery from New Orleans because he has played behind players like Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
Is it possible to have a Lakers offseason without mentioning Buddy Hield? Of course not.
Hield’s Philadelphia teammate, Oubre, was one of basketball’s biggest bargains last season and is in line for a nice raise this summer. It’s unclear if he played outside of the Lakers’ price range.
The big guys in the business
Day’Ron Sharpe, Xavier Tillman
Tillman has been in and out of Boston’s rotation since the Celtics acquired him from Memphis, but he has the weight and defensive versatility for a role as a situational backup center.
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Assuming Brooklyn re-signs Nic Claxton, Sharpe could be a target for teams looking for a big young backup at a reasonable trade value. He is prepared for greater production if he finds greater opportunities.
the big changes
Chuma Okeke, KJ Martin
Okeke has dealt with injuries throughout his career in Orlando, and his shooting never made it worth it for him to have a real role. But the restricted free agent projects as a defensive stopper after college and is only 25 years old.
An excellent athlete, Martin has the tools to be a multipositional defender and rebounder, but he has essentially stopped shooting 3-pointers the past two seasons, limiting the unrestricted free agent’s offensive impact.
This list is not exhaustive, the search for useful role players is ongoing and evolving, with everyone looking for ways to replicate the success of surviving teams in the NBA Playoffs.
Song of the week
“evil spawn” by Waxahatchee
I’m a big fan of Waxahatchee, Kathryn Crutchfield’s voice is one of the most distinctive in music, and while writing this newsletter, I was reading her latest album. It’s an easy spin, the kind of music you can put on and forget about the skip button.
In case you missed it
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Agent says Bronny James will remain in NBA draft: ‘Lakers should look at Bronny like everyone else’
Plaschke: Who will draft Bronny James? The Lakers should just say no.
Like Caitlin Clark, LeBron James began his professional career 0-4. Lakers star hopes to “kill” in the WNBA
Lakers guard Austin Reaves fails to qualify for Korn Ferry Tour event
Bill Walton, UCLA legend, NBA star and Pac-12 defender, dies at 71
Gratitude: Bill Walton’s kindness and wonderful madness made us the grateful ones
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