The Lakers must prepare for their future without considering LeBron James as the cornerstone of the program. That’s starting to show up on the team, with coach Darvin Ham noting in a statement that Anthony Davis is “the heart and soul of the team.” James himself is aware of this, noting Davis “is the face of the franchise” during media day.
While Davis would be a great figure for the franchise, it was clear that he would not be the sole star guiding the Lakers to their next championship run.
Along those lines, we decided to take a look back at who are the three Lakers players who could replace LeBron and make the purple and gold via trade.
People always mention that Zach LaVine intends to play in Los Angeles at some point, specifically with the Lakers. Before signing a contract extension with Chicago for the 2022-23 season, there was news that the California team would retain LaVine’s services, but this was not the case.
However, this may happen in the near future. The Chicago Bulls failed to make the playoffs in their last game, which was disappointing, and the 28-year-old shooting guard’s prospects with the Bulls are not promising as they look to be one of the weakest teams in the Eastern Conference. one.
The team’s other star, DeMar DeRozan, will begin the final year of his contract in the 2023-24 season. If the Bulls fail to advance to the playoffs, they will have to rebuild, which could begin with the departure of LaVine in exchange for draft picks or younger players.