A high-profile offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers and general manager Rob Pelinka could set them up to shine next season.
On September 24, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote: “The Dallas Mavericks reportedly had ‘no interest’ in trading D’Angelo Russell in May, but the Los Angeles Lakers instead signed him Signed a very flexible contract.” “With the Mavericks underperforming for the second straight season, you can be sure rumors of a LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reunion will resurface.”
The Lakers received:
——Kyrie Irving
The Mavericks get:
——Ei Hachimura
——D’Angelo Russell
– 2029 first-round pick
In 2016, Irving and James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the first championship in team history, and reversed a seven-game series to defeat the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first team in the history of the NBA Finals to win 1-3. A team that comes back from behind.
In Game 7, Irving hit a key three-pointer to help the Cavaliers take the lead at the last minute.
Irving publicly feuded with the organization and complained about being in James’ shadow, but has since said he wished he had handled the matter differently, alleviating those concerns.
“We already know how this partnership works on the field,” Bailey continued. “These two, Anthony Davis and the average supporting cast will make up a championship contender. With Austin Reeves, Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince still around, the supporting cast can be at least average.” level (even without Hachimura).”
Irving signed a three-year, $120 million contract extension with the Mavericks this offseason and has a player option worth $42.9 million for the 2025-26 season. Per league rules, he cannot be traded until December 15th.
However, it does give the Lakers time to get a feel for their current team.
Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell key to Lakers
The Lakers acquired both Rui Hachimura and Russell during the season, and the two players ended up being key contributors to the team’s 18-8 regular season record and a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals.
Hachimura started 9 of 33 games and averaged 9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. But he is an important part of WCF’s defensive strategy and is expected to start in the 2023-24 season.
Russell averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.
During the regular season, he took 6.5 attempts from beyond the arc and shot 41.4 percent from the field, but his production declined in the playoffs, leading head coach Darvin Ham to reduce his usage. character, especially in the last four games. Although management signed Vincent to a three-year, $33 million contract in the offseason, Russell still maintains a team-first mentality.
But Russell waived the implicit no-trade clause when he signed a two-year, $36 million deal, leading to speculation that he could be traded regardless of whether Vincent joins the team or not. Others believe Vincent might be a better fit alongside James.
Kyrie Irving’s track record could lead to Lakers timeout
Another factor the Lakers must consider in any decision to pursue Irving again must include his recent record of missing games.
Irving appears in 60 games in 2022-23, his most since the 2018-19 season, when he was dealing with injuries and off-court issues. Even if he’s outgrown the latter, durability doesn’t improve with age even for the most talented players.
The Lakers are feeling the impact of their star missing much of the regular season and are well aware of the toll that can take as they try to balance rest and rust. Maybe they can convince themselves they’re good enough even without Hachimura or Russell, Jared Vanderbilt and Vincent.