Over the past 3 years, the Lakers have been the most watched team in the NBA because they have been strong teams for several seasons and won the championship in 2020. Throughout 2020, the Lakers even landed first in the world's sports club search list, surpassing those well-known football clubs in the five major leagues, and it can be said that some of the Lakers' previous operations were successful.
But after winning the championship, the Lakers were in trouble, and after the main competitors became stronger, the Lakers weakened their own strength. The Lakers were out of the first round of the playoffs last season, and they may continue to play playing playoffs this season. No one will think that a play-off team can finally win the championship, and this season it is difficult for the Lakers to make waves, and it is difficult for them to return to the top of the big three combination that makes Zhan Meiwei.
It can be said that the price of the Lakers winning the championship is to pay the valuable assets they have accumulated in the previous years, while investing in future draft picks. Now the Lakers have no lineup depth to speak of, the triplet salary adds up to 120 million, except for Tucker and Nunn, everyone else is taking the basic salary, even with a strong veteran like Anthony, the Lakers' second team is difficult to compare with other strong teams. So this also caused the situation that James got high scores in many games, but the team still had difficulty winning.
In fact, the Lakers could have had a very luxurious lineup, and the US media FW listed that if the Lakers did not trade thick eyebrows and Westbrook, the team would have the main players.
The Lakers paid the first round picks of Ball, Ingram, Hart, Hunter (2019 4 picks), 2021 + 2023 + 2024, Bonner, Wagner, and the second round pick in 2022
Traded west, the Lakers paid Kuzma, Harrell, Pop, the first round of 2021 picks
These two transactions, the Lakers sent out young players, and now they can not be messed up, by 2027 before the first round of signing, are in the hands of others, the Lakers are now riding a tiger. Without these two big deals, what would the Lakers' current lineup be?
Starters: Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, James, Harrell
Substitutes: Tucker, Munch, Pope, Anthony, Howard, Nunn, Hart, Ellington, Hunter, Jordan Jr
In terms of salary, it will be very healthy, only James is the super top salary, Andrram's annual salary this season is only 30 million, which is much lower than Wei Shao and Thick Brow. Kuzma and Harrell add up to about 20 million, Ball 18.6 million, and the starting five are paid around 100 million. But all five have a strong offensive and mobile ability, which is the five small lineup that Vogel wants.
Among the substitutes, Pope and Tucker have an annual salary of more than 10 million, Nunn 5 million, Hunter is a rookie contract of 7.77 million, and everyone else is a basic salary. The Lakers have a set of lineups, there are many young people with room to rise, and the team does not have to pay luxury taxes. Although it may not be possible to win the 2020 championship, at least in the next 5 years or more, the Lakers have a certain competitiveness, will be a long-term championship team, James does not have to play as tired as now, can extend their career.