Lakers Face Major Offseason Questions

Will anybody trade for Russell Westbrook? Here are some queries Los Angeles must answer this offseason.

While the Lakers’ season is not officially over, their disastrous 2022 run reached another milestone Tuesday night, when the team was eliminated from any postseason contention after a loss to the Suns. Los Angeles is now not even eligible for the play-in tournament, cementing what has been one of the most hilarious and frankly unsurprisingly awful seasons in recent NBA history. Two years ago, this team won the NBA Finals. Now, it's headed for the lottery…except that lottery pick is headed to the Pelicans, who will finish multiple games ahead of the Lakers in the West. With Los Angeles’s importance to the current state of affairs in the league at essentially zero, it’s only fair to look ahead to the offseason. Here are four big questions the Lakers will face this summer.

Will Anybody Trade for Russell Westbrook?

The Westbrook trade is not the only reason the Lakers were a trainwreck this season, but it was basically the first domino for all the mistakes that followed. The Westbrook trade not only moved the Lakers away from what was likely a better move (acquiring Buddy Hield), it robbed the team of its depth and forced the front office to fill out the roster with largely minimum players. And aside from Malik Monk, most of those players did not exactly contribute to winning. Kendrick Nunn, Trevor Ariza, Carmelo Anthony and Kent Bazemore are not quite the hallmarks of a championship contender.

Finding a taker for Westbrook has to be priority one for Los Angeles this offseason. If he can bring back multiple pieces in return—even if those players are flawed—it could pay big dividends. The Lakers desperately need youth and shooting, (and defense would be a plus). If the Knicks could somehow be convinced to part ways with say, Alec Burks and Evan Fournier, the Lakers start to make a lot more sense on paper around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The ultimate goal for this team should be to find multiple 3-and-D types to put around their two stars, instead of one player who isn’t particularly good at either. Moving Westbrook won’t be easy. While his contract is turning into an expiring one as well as the future firsts the Lakers can move should help, the team shouldn’t expect the perfect role players in return. Still, simply creating a more balanced roster would go a long way in returning this team to respectability.

What Position is Anthony Davis Going to Play?

Part of the problem with regard to the Lakers’ roster construction is Anthony Davis still will not play center full-time. At its best, L.A. puts a healthy AD at the five and surrounds him and LeBron with capable defenders who can spread the floor. Yet the team has rarely played that way the last two seasons, often opting to play limited centers like Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan until high-leverage moments. This has become a constant question for Davis, and the Lakers need to figure out a way to get through to him. Wasting roster spots on centers who don’t move the needle is restricting the front office. If the Lakers are actually committed to rebuilding this roster the right way, a significant step toward success would be building this roster in the vision of Davis playing center.

Are You Keeping Talen Horton-Tucker?

The Lakers made a gamble in essentially keeping THT over Alex Caruso (for tax reasons the ownership group should not have to care about). That gamble didn’t pay off. Caruso was a perfect fit next to James and Davis. Horton-Tucker struggled with his shot and wasn’t exactly a shutdown defender. And in a revealing decision, THT’s minutes grew more inconsistent as the season went on. A popular trade package floated for the Lakers during the season was the combination of Horton-Tucker and Nunn. It would be wise to revisit that this summer in case there are any takers. Those two contracts may be the best opportunity for the Lakers to find a mid-priced veteran, even if they have to attach a pick to do so. Nunn didn’t play at all this season, and while some people in the organization may be wondering what may have been, it’s hard to imagine him being a serious difference maker. LeBron James is entering his 20th season in the fall. Hoping for a young player to develop is a luxury the Lakers don’t have. Finding vets who actually have something left in the tank should be a priority for the front office. Moving THT could be the best avenue to bring in at least one of those players.

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Who is Going to be the Coach?

Frank Vogel somehow survived skating on thin ice for seemingly the whole regular season. But reports now indicate he likely won’t be back with the team next year. Vogel was very much not the problem this season. He was given an old team that couldn’t play defense filled with personalities that had to be delicately managed. Vogel was set up to fail and that’s exactly what happened. Can the Lakers do better? Maybe. It’s far from a guarantee. Bringing in a new coach could be an injection of energy, though. That person also has to be somebody who can command the respect of James and Davis and hold them accountable, which Vogel was able to do during the team’s best moments. Hiring that person is no small task. Quin Snyder and Doc Rivers—two rumored names for the job—would seem like people who could earn that respect at the very least. Even if not clear-cut upgrades, ultimately the vibe shift alone could be worth the risk of getting rid of an accomplished coach like Vogel. 

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