Is running it back a sound option for the Lakers?

[Laimbeer]

Apparently they could keep everyone if they wanted.

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[UcanUwill]

If Bill Simmons isn't wrong and I got him right, man would be strange if Lakers resign everyone, they dont want those restrictions at all. Running it back is stupid for Lakers, I think they already overachieved, and this is a franchise that never aimed to be mid Playoff team at best.

[BobbyPortisEyes]

It's the only realistic option to be honest. Sign-and-trades just handcuff them to filling out the rest of the roster with minimums, that's not gonna work. All you can do is re-sign the guys you have to keep them as assets and wait for the moment when a star becomes available.

[sogood]

Technically wouldn't be running it back when they have that 17th pick and the tpmle to play with.

[C3H6N6O6]

Re-sign Reaves by matching whatever other teams offer him.
I know most people here will disagree but if Kyrie tells Dallas that he will walk if they don't do a sign and trade then I can see Dallas agreeing to a package around Rui Hachimura.

If that is not possible then re-sign Hachimura but don't pay him more than 15 million/year. Bring everyone else back other than Russell because I don't think they will be expensive.

Load manage LeBron and Davis. There is only one team definitely better than Lakers and it is the Nuggets. Sign cheap bigs to throw at Jokic so that AD can roam. It is not like expensive bigs do a good job against him.

[indiegrind]

I think they need to try to turn DeAngelo Russell into something, but otherwise might be their best option.

[giberish]

Their best option is mostly running it back (assuming none of their FA's get crazy overpaid), then adding some talent around the edges. Possibly trading #17 + Bamba or Beasley for another solid rotation player (even after their midseason deals they weren't really deep, just not crazy thin anymore). Get someone with the small MLE. Those sorts of moves.

All of the big FA or S&T plans involve gutting the current roster and going back to having no credible depth at all.

[Catchall]

Memphis was a mess this year. Golden State was a bad road team. Lakers got swept as soon as they matched up with a real top seed. I guess they can run it back, but I question whether they were ever serious contenders.

[Lost Angel]

It’s not a bad option, gives them flexibility to make moves.

Losing talent for nothing is never a good option.

[C3H6N6O6]

Memphis was a mess this year. Golden State was a bad road team. Lakers got swept as soon as they matched up with a real top seed. I guess they can run it back, but I question whether they were ever serious contenders.

I wonder what that says about Denver who beat a Timberwolves team who lost to the Lakers and were without one of their best defenders.

Then they beat a Suns team against whom all you had to do was wait for KD and Booker to get tired because of how thin their supporting cast was and how little time they played together.

Then they beat a fraud 43 win Lakers team who were the 7th seed and only beat fraud teams like Memphis and Warriors. All 4 games were close too.

Now they face a 44 win 8th seeded team in the finals who lost to the Hawks and then almost lost to the Bulls in the elimination game.

I guess this is the year of the frauds.

[LakersLegacy]

Obviously they need Dwight and McGee to help on Joker.

Rui+Reevee+Vando would be great. Russell would be a bonus. Russell seems like the odd man out. But if had a team friendly contract he would be great

[nate33]

With their guaranteed salaries plus Reeves' cap hold, their payroll is $107M for Lebron, Davis, Reeves, Vanderbilt and Christie. Their pick will cost $3M and 7 vet minimum cap holds will cost another $7M. So that leaves them with $17M in effective cap room.

So, Option #1 is they release/renounce everyone but Reeves and sign one $17M free agent plus a bunch of vet minimum guys.

Option #2 is to retain their non-guaranteed guys (Beasley, Bomba), resign Rui with Bird Rights, resign Lonnie Walker as a RFA agent, and then use the $12M MLE and the $4.5M BAE. And then add in vet minimum guys.

I think it's a no-brainer that Rui + Beasley + Bomba + Walker + $12M free agent + $4.5M free agent is better than just one $17M free agent. So they should run it back.

An additional option would be to resign DLo to keep the salary slot, and then look to trade him, possibly along with Beasley and/or Bomba, after December 15th.

[FrobeBryant]

Considering they had an almost entirely different team since the trade deadline, and had the second best record since that point I think it's a good idea to run it back. A full training camp would do this team good. They can make some adjustments with the MLE and #17 pick and drop a few low performers (Troy Brown Jr, Mo Bamba). The team really looked gassed by the conference finals considering they were playing for their playoff lives since the 2-10 start whereas Denver was able to coast the final few weeks of the season.

[nate33]

It might make sense to trade their #18 pick for a 2024 pick from a team likely to be picking in the 12-22 range. They can then wait until December 15th and package that pick with some combination of Beasley, Bomba and DLo for a good player paid in the $20-30M range.

[NCHeels2008]

I just want to add I think Beasley is a good player who slumped at the wrong time. I hope the Lakers don't deal him like hes just cap fodder. I'd rather them rehab his value, if they do dump him someones going to look smart for buying low.

[Edrees]

they desperately need a sizable backup big. But run it back for the most part. see if you can turn beasley and DLO into something

Memphis was a mess this year. Golden State was a bad road team. Lakers got swept as soon as they matched up with a real top seed. I guess they can run it back, but I question whether they were ever serious contenders.

You say they got swept but they were in every game they were in in the 4th quarter. Each game was close. A few upgrades could make the difference between losing 4 games by 5 points and winning 4 games by 5 points. denver didn't blow out the lakers even a single time. one strong upgrade could be the difference in winning a few of those games that went down to the wire.

It's funny how people use the lakers being swept as if it means anything. it's clear you didn't watch the series if you don't think it was close. It's probably the most lazy analysis I've ever seen on here that isn't a troll post

[Lunartic]

Memphis was a mess this year. Golden State was a bad road team. Lakers got swept as soon as they matched up with a real top seed. I guess they can run it back, but I question whether they were ever serious contenders.

I wonder what that says about Denver who beat a Timberwolves team who lost to the Lakers and were without one of their best defenders.

Then they beat a Suns team against whom all you had to do was wait for KD and Booker to get tired because of how thin their supporting cast was and how little time they played together.

Then they beat a fraud 43 win Lakers team who were the 7th seed and only beat fraud teams like Memphis and Warriors. All 4 games were close too.

Now they face a 44 win 8th seeded team in the finals who lost to the Hawks and then almost lost to the Bulls in the elimination game.

I guess this is the year of the frauds.

This isn't the best attitude to have

The Lakers were largely healthy in the playoffs and had their guys at full strength.

The warriors aren't going to run it back, they will improve. The Grizz will improve their roster or at least attempt to.
The Nuggets are still sitting at the top and the Lakers got swept soundly by them.

Diminishing other teams as reason to not improve and to bring the same team back doesn't really help the team and it's just arguing to argue.

The Lakers need to improve if their goal is the finals. Standing pat while everyone else improves is not the path to the finals. Lebron will be a year older, AD is a constant injury risk, and the roleplayers are at risk of being poached.

[Dr Aki]

Why wouldn't it be? Lakers in their current iteration have only had 3 months together to gel, no training camp, most of it without Lebron.

Why wouldn't the young players (all 23-26 yo) get better with Ham's system, both defensively or offensively?

[Freighttrain]

Why wouldn't it be? Lakers in their current iteration have only had 3 months together to gel, no training camp, most of it without Lebron.

Why wouldn't the young players (all 23-26 yo) get better with Ham's system, both defensively or offensively?

I would try to get an upgrade over Dlo though. He's at an age where he won't get better, or worse. Resigning Reaves & Rui seem key.

[giberish]

Also, what's the other option??

Gut the roster and hope a ~$20M/yr FA makes such a huge difference that the team can overcome having no depth at all??

Just because a largely stat the course plan isn't likely to lead to a title doesn't mean that it's not clearly superior to any plausible alternative (which are even less likely to lead to a title and far more likely to miss the playoffs entirely).