For the second year in a row, the Denver Nuggets outclassed and outmuscled the Los Angeles Lakers out of the NBA playoffs.
At least last year’s Lakers were able to go on a run, advancing to the Western Conference Finals before being swept by the eventual NBA champions. Maybe that just gave the team false hope that some changes around the edges surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis would be enough to make them a title contender.
Instead, Los Angeles scrapped through another tumultuous season and had to go through the Play-In Tournament just to eke into the playoffs where they faced the tough scenario of squaring off against Nikola Jokic and Co.
It will be another challenging offseason for the Lakers filled with hard questions — from the status of James’ future, uncertainty surrounding the coaching staff, and possible changes to the roster.
Time for a new head coach
Last summer, Darvin Ham couldn’t stop raving about how excited he was to run it back with a team that made it to the Western Conference Finals and grow on that experience. But when it came time to play, he chose a different route.
He leaned on newcomers Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish rather than the returning Rui Hachimura, who played a big part in their playoff run. He toyed around with the lineup all season, benching Hachimura, Austin Reaves, and D’Angelo Russell — three of the team’s top-five highest-paid players — before finally inserting them into the starting lineup more than midway through the season.
It was obvious that he’d lost the trust of the team early in the season when multiple players reportedly wanted him replaced, but owner Jeanie Buss refused to do it. Even during the playoffs following Game 2 against the Nuggets, Davis flatly stated, “We have stretches where we don’t know what we’re doing on both ends of the floor.”
That’s not a ringing endorsement of the head coach and his staff.
There were also plenty of questions about his rotations throughout the season in the playoffs where he continually trotted out three-guard lineups against the bigger Nuggets. His standing on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets didn’t exude confidence either.
And Ham lost the confidence of the Lakers’ fans, who broke out a “fire Ham” chant at Crypto.com Arena during the closing minutes of their Game 3 loss.
Add in his failure to take any responsibility for the team’s struggles — instead pulling out his handy explanation of “we just need to play harder” that fell on deaf ears — and it seems Ham’s days in Los Angeles are numbered.
Ham seems to be on his way out, even for the notoriously cheap Lakers who would grit their teeth at having to pay both Ham and a new coach simultaneously. But the time has come.
It would make sense for the Lakers to look at veteran coaches including former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Ty Lue (who only has one year left on his deal) and Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson (who previously was the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets).
There was plenty of chatter during the season that Lakers players wanted assistant coach Phil Handy to sit in the big chair. Maybe he would get a shot — and he would be a cheaper option — but the team might want someone with experience rather than going with another first-timer like Ham was when he initially got hired.
Could we see front-office changes?
There is plenty of blame to go around and that includes vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, who is responsible for building this team.
The Lakers preach that they are a family and Pelinka has been close with Buss dating back to when he was Kobe Bryant’s agent, which eventually led to him moving into LA’s front office. Still, he’s made his fair share of mistakes since the 2020 championship team.
That includes the atrocious Russell Westbrook trade that depleted the team of its depth and identity, lowballing Alex Caruso and letting him walk in free agency, taking long-term prospect Jalen Hood-Schifino in the 2023 NBA draft rather a win-now player like Jaime Jaquez Jr. who went one pick later to the Miami Heat, and mismanaging the Lakers’ salary cap in the 2023 offseason by not exercising options on Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba — valuable expiring contracts the team could have used for upgrades at the trade deadline.
But most importantly, Pelinka has never properly surrounded his two stars with defensive-minded wings who can shoot like they had during their last championship season.
If the Lakers want to make another run in the next few years, they need to take a serious look at replacing Pelinka. Ownership should at least bring in someone over Pelinka as the team’s president of basketball operations and allow that person to help right the ship and lead the search for a new head coach. (The swing-for-the-fences choice would be former Warriors executive Bob Myers).
LeBron has a decision to make
There will be plenty of discussion in the NBA universe about whether James should leave if he wants to win a fifth championship. However, all signs point to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer staying with the Lakers entering what will be his 22nd season.
During NBA All-Star Weekend, James opened up about his future with the team.
“I am a Laker and I’m happy and been very happy being a Laker the last six years and hopefully it stays that way,” James said. “But I don’t have the answer to how long it is or which uniform I’ll be in. Hopefully [it] is with the Lakers. It’s a great organization, with so many greats. But we’ll see.”
If he remains with the purple and gold, he has several choices. He can opt into his $ 51.4 million deal for next season or he can opt out and then sign a two-year, $ 104 million contract or a three-year, $ 162 million contract, both of which could include a player option after the first year.
If LeBron does decide to leave — either to join another contender or play with his son, Bronny — the Lakers could create some cap space but not enough to offer a max salary for another star player.
The D’Angelo Russell dilemma
The Lakers went into last summer with a big question mark surrounding D’Angelo Russell following a poor postseason. Should they sign him to a new deal or let him walk in free agency and get nothing in return?
In the end, Russell got a two-year deal with a player option and the Lakers believed they could move him during the season if needed.
But as the NBA trade deadline approached, Russell was playing his best basketball as a pro, averaging 22.2 points on 44.9% three-point shooting along with 6.4 assists in the previous 16 games.
That hot play convinced the Lakers to stick with him and hold onto other assets.
And just like the previous season, Russell went ice cold and was played off the court shortly after.
The best scenario for the Lakers would probably be for Russell to opt into his $ 18.7 million deal for next season, but there are rumblings that he will opt out and become an unrestricted free agent.
The question then is: would the Lakers give him a new multi-year deal? If they let him go, they cannot replace him because they would be over the salary cap.
But the Lakers already know that they cannot go into another postseason with Russell in a significant role. Despite the ramifications, maybe they should just let him walk.
Upgrading the roster
James and Davis are still playing at a high level, but it’s obvious that they need help. And the Lakers have some assets to reshape their roster including three first-round picks to trade (2024 or 2025, 2029, and 2031) along with tradable contracts. Everyone on the roster besides the two stars will be available in the right deal, including fan-favorite Austin Reaves.
It sounds like the Lakers will go big-name hunting with Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young and Cleveland Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell high on their list of targets if either becomes available.
But the Nuggets aren’t going anywhere and if the Lakers have any hopes of winning another title with James and Davis, the team would be better off getting bigger and stronger to match up against them. While the big names are tempting, the Lakers need 3-and-D wings along with a defensive-minded center who can spell Davis when he’s off the court.
Of course, that will be a challenge for a team that will be up against the salary cap’s second apron. Plus, they’ll be in a highly competitive trade market where eight other teams have at least five first-round picks that can be moved.
