The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets, but they still get more attention than the Nuggets. The Lakers have ended the season early, is there anything more noteworthy than the Finals? What changes need to be made next season to go one step further and have the strength to compete for the championship.
In fact, the Lakers have done very well this season.
At the beginning of the season, the Lakers' "Big Three" lineup became the league's biggest joke, Russell Westbrook's Lakers career was like a crappy comedy script, is Rob Pelinka building a "theater of dreams"? The mid-season deal changed the team, and the Lakers moved forward from the playoffs until the Western Conference Finals were exhausted.
The season for the Lakers is over, so what's next? This is something that fans are more concerned about, and the moment the Lakers were eliminated, the discussion about the Lakers next season was already extremely hot. So much so that Nuggets coach Mike Malone said sourly: "It's us who made it to the Finals, but..."
What will happen to the Lakers next season?
This topic was not mentioned at this time, when the Lakers' performance was sluggish at the beginning of the season, the outside world began to discuss the next season - unexpectedly, the Lakers came to life in the middle of the season. With the Lakers moving into the Western Conference Finals, such discussions have become more "valuable" and it's time to prepare for next season.
In the offseason, the Lakers will have multiple players whose contracts expire, including "third giant" DeAngelo Russell, Austin Reeves, Lonnie Walker, Takashi Hachimura and Dennis Schroder, among others. These players are more important to the Lakers, and are basically the main role players of the Lakers.
Among these players who need to decide whether to stay, D'Angelo Russell is undoubtedly the one that has caused the Lakers a headache. In the mid-season trade, D'Angelo Russell was the most important signing for the Lakers, who hoped at the time that he could become the team's "third giant" and provide firepower support around the "James" combination.
D'Angelo Russell made the Lakers smile at some point, but not more often, especially in the Western Conference Finals, which was extremely disappointing. Averaging only 6.3 points and 3.5 assists per game in four games, shooting 32.3% from the field and shooting 2 of 15 from three-point range, the Lakers' loss is directly related to its slump.
Overall, D'Angelo Russell's form is erratic – when he performs well, he can't wait to be worth a top salary; When the performance is not good, the value drops sharply.
Whether the Lakers keep him or not will be a big question for team management to consider. If you keep him on a long contract, you are likely to be burdened by his sluggish performance, and the team may have to seek a trade again; If they drop DeAngelo Russell, will the Lakers have other alternatives in the player market?
According to ESPN Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin, D'Angelo Russell is eligible to reach a 2-year, $67.5 million contract extension with the Lakers until June 30 local time, and according to sources familiar with the situation, the Lakers will not seek to complete a contract extension with him at the maximum theoretical salary.
In any case, the Lakers will not directly release DeAngelo Russell.
Even if the Lakers do not execute Malik Beasley's contract, it is difficult to create salary space for them to sign another star player naked, so signing first and then changing may be an important means for the Lakers to strengthen. The names of Kyrie Irving, Fred VanVleet and others have been linked to the Lakers, and the Lakers need to accumulate some chips to have a chance.
But making a decision will still be difficult, depending largely on LeBron James' attitude. The loss to the Nuggets ended the season, and LeBron James was interpreted as considering retirement remarks that were hotly debated, and the Lakers will not be without waves, and LeBron James' decision will affect the team's operations.
LeBron James' remarks will make the Lakers feel a certain pressure, and the team must further upgrade. The Lakers have created an embarrassing end to the "Big Three" before, will they still target star players? Otherwise, the Lakers will have to work on role players, and D'Angelo Russell's future is clearly uncertain.
Moreover, D'Angelo Russell is not happy with the Lakers.
(Text/Yan Wuming)