Los Angeles is a star-driven ecosystem. Movie producers want big stars and bankable names at the top of the marquee to open films. Hip restaurants – or even a food trucks — need a celebrity chef to fill the tables (or they turn their chef into a celebrity). You can’t throw a rock in this town without hitting a TikTok/YouTube influencer.
That star-driven ethos has always extended to the Lakers — they have always banked on Kobe and Shaq or Magic to headline the show and hang banners.
Lakers GM Rob Pelinka ignored that ethos this summer and has had one of the best offseasons in the NBA.
Don’t just take my word for it. LeBron James seemed to like the moves, too. His Instagram story Saturday evening was wordless, and just pictures of all the Lakers signings/re-signings.
LeBron James’ Instagram story on Saturday afternoon featured photos of all the players the Lakers made agreements with in the first day of free agency. Certainly a tacit sign of approval from the L.A. vet entering his 21st season. pic.twitter.com/tieCFXxnHJ
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 1, 2023
A couple of years ago Pelinka and the Lakers realized they needed more scoring, more shot creation to take the load off of LeBron and Anthony Davis during the marathon of the regular season. After flirting with Buddy Hield, they pivoted, leaned into the Lakers’ star-driven history, and traded for Russell Westbrook. That famously did not work out, a mix of aging games and oil-and-water chemistry that never blended.
This summer, rather than go after a star who wanted to come to Los Angeles in Kyrie Irving, Pelinka leaned into the moves that turned the Lakers around at the trade deadline last February. He signed reliable, quality role players — specifically focusing on shooting and defense, with some shot creators thrown in — to put around LeBron and Davis. The Lakers’ offseason moves are:
• Re-sign Austin Reaves (four years, $56 million, the max the Lakers could offer but a deal that may look like a steal in three years).
• Re-sign D’Angelo Russell (two years, $37 million, and he gets a player option on the second year). The Lakers need scoring and shot creation for the marathon of the 82-game regular season and Russell brings that.
• Signed Gabe Vincent as a free agent (three years, $33 million). The man who was the starting point guard for the Heat on their run to the Finals brings the defense, grit and timely shooting under pressure the Lakers need more off in the playoffs.
• Re-signed Rui Hachimura (three years, $51 million). Another player who stepped up for them in the playoffs, but gives them good size and depth for the regular season, too.
• Signed Taurean Prince (one year, $6 million). A great contract for a solid rotation forward.
• Signed Cam Reddish (two years). He adds solid wing depth, a guy with fans around NBA front offices because of his potential, but who doesn’t live up to it as consistently as hoped.
The Lakers have a better version of the team that just made a run to the Western Conference Finals — a deep, versatile, and big roster. The Lakers didn’t need to go star hunting again because they already had two of the top 15 players in the NBA when healthy — LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
It’s the second part of that sentence that will determine the Lakers’ chances — “when healthy.” While that’s true of every contender and their best players, the Lakers’ health feels particularly fragile with LeBron (who turns 39 during the season) and Davis, who has a history of injuries. The Lakers need to catch a break, and they need the Davis of last April and May, the one who looks like maybe the best rim-protecting big in the game who can also give them 22.6 points on 52% shooting plus 14.1 rebounds a game (his postseason numbers this season).
Is that enough against a healthy Denver squad, or if Phoenix finds some depth to go around their big three? Maybe, maybe not. But this is a team LeBron James and Lakers fans can bet on having a chance in those playoff series.
All because of a smart offseason by the Pelinka and the Lakers, where they didn’t go Hollywood and instead got some gritty guys fans from Long Beach through Lancaster can get behind.
