There is still a spot on the Lakers' 15-man roster, and Pelinka said in an interview that as long as there are the right players, the Lakers will use this quota to strengthen.
After Love bought out with the Cavaliers, the Lakers used this spot to pursue Love, but because the Lakers could not guarantee enough playing time for Love, Love refused. Love wanted to play longer with his new team, and he eventually chose to join the Heat.
Missing out on Love, who will be the last pick for the Lakers? Chris Haynes reported that Knicks veteran Rose caught the attention of the Lakers and Bucks, and although Russell of the Lakers will not be injured for long, adding another ball handler will not be harmful to the roster; And the Bucks have been trying to get Rose since the trade deadline.
Rose is still a Knicks player, and after playing 11 minutes on December 31, 2022 (local time), Rose was dropped and has not played a game in 2023. Rose will sit on the cold bench while staying with the Knicks, and in order to play, he will likely reach a buyout with the Knicks and join a new team. In addition to the Lakers and Bucks, the Suns are also interested in Rose.
The Lakers pursue Rose and face competition from the Suns and Bucks. The advantage of the Lakers is that James and Rose have a good relationship, and they can also give Rose more playing time. James and Ross were teammates at the Cavaliers and the two had a good relationship. Russell broke his foot in the Lakers game against the Warriors and needed to miss some games. Ross joined the Lakers and was able to replace Russell. After Russell's return, Rose also has a chance. There are quite a few Lakers guards, but not many like Ross's. Russell can shoot three-pointers and can organize, but the breakthrough is average; Schroeder breaks sharp, but three-pointers don't; Lonnie Walker is strong offensively, not defensively; Reeves knows a little of everything, but is not very proficient and has average organizational skills; Beasley is just shooting three-pointers; Christie and Davin Reed are mediocre in all their abilities.
Ross has good breakouts and three-pointers, is organized, and has a big heart. In 25 games for the Knicks this season, Rose averaged 6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 13.2 minutes per game, shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 31.6 percent from three-point range.
If the Lakers successfully sign Rose, the ultimate 15 will not lose to the Suns.
Defenders: Russell, Beasley, Ross, Schroeder, Lonnie Walker, Reeves, Christie, Davin Reed;
Small forwards: James, Troy Brown;
Power forwards: Van Debiao, Hachimura, Gabriel;
Center: Thick eyebrows, Bamba.
When James renewed his contract with the Lakers last offseason, the Lakers promised to build a championship team around James to help James compete for a fifth career title and catch up with Jordan. The Lakers' pre-trade roster was terrible, which allowed James to play an MVP-level performance, while the Lakers could only rank last in the West.
The Lakers did not disappoint James, and through the trade, the Lakers lineup was transformed and competitive. After the trade deadline, the Lakers went 3-1 in four games, defeated defending champion Warriors twice, and beat the Pelicans by 18 points, only to lose to the Blazers in the absence of both James and Bamba.
The Lakers maintain this momentum and have great hopes of securing a play-off spot. The Lakers see the hope of winning the championship again, congratulations James!