Should Plummeting Lakers Blow Up Team, Embrace the Tank?

With the Lakers struggling to start the season, should they blow everything up and start planning for the future?

Dec 6, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) boxes out against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

As one of the premier franchises in the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers are always trying to be part of the playoff conversation. Along with the Celtics, the Lakers have the best history in the league. They have been in contention a lot more often than they have been lottery-bound.

This season, however, has not started off that way. The Lakers are just 14-12 and are clinging to the 10-seed. Injuries have hurt the team, but not as badly as some other teams around the league. Quite frankly, this roster just isn't good enough to contend for an NBA Championship as currently constructed.

LeBron James has been away from the team at different times, and it's not clear why. He continues to play at a high level. Anthony Davis is playing at an MVP level, averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. In spite of all of that, the Lakers seem very far away from a title.

Should the Lakers just blow it up and start over? Should they look at trading James and use the return to plan for the next ten years of the future?

Anyone associated with the team would tell you they have no plans to do that. They are a franchise that is always looking for ways to win more, not tank.

James just re-signed with the team. Davis is a free agent after this season but clearly wants to stay in LA. Both of the stars seem to want to work it out and try to win a title with the Lakers. The Lakers also don't have their first-round pick in 2025, so tanking this season doesn't make sense.

The Lakers likely won't consider blowing it up until next season at the absolute earliest. Blowing it up would be tough to do with the assets they currently have. They only have one of their first-round picks in the next three drafts. Of course, they will always be a free-agent destination.

Because of that fact, they likely will try to keep winning as much as they can as long as James is in a Lakers uniform. He probably has two years left at most. Until he retires, this organization is going to do everything it can to support his goal of winning another NBA championship. Expect them to make some moves around the trade deadline in support of that.

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