preface
Despite James repeatedly hinting that he might choose to retire this offseason, when the Lakers had just been swept out by the Nuggets, not too many people seemed to believe that this was something that would be on the table. Many members of James' team also revealed that this was just a bluff by James to push the Lakers management to make a quick trade move. Indeed, this offseason's non-guaranteed contracts, player options, and unrestricted, restricted free agents, etc., all require the Lakers to make their decision to stay.
For the Lakers, next season continues to focus on thick eyebrows and James, and their goal is still to hit the championship, but with the strength of the current roster, it is not enough to achieve this goal. While some players have shown their potential, the lack of experience of young players is exposed as they enter the high-intensity competitive environment of the playoffs. Lakers News: James undergoes surgical evaluation! Russell can't get his wish, and everyone should stay with all his might!
The consequences of playing with injuries still come; Russell's dream of 67.5 million in 2 years is about to be shattered, and a player should stay
Obviously, unless anything irreparable comes up, James will still start fulfilling his contract with the Lakers next season. However, this is not the only thing James needs to consider, and since the middle and late season, James has been on the Lakers' injury list for ankle injuries.
But James has always been injured, and after being eliminated by the Nuggets, James was the first to examine and evaluate the tear of his right tendon in the playoffs to determine if surgery was needed. According to Shams Charania, if surgery is required, James needs to rest for at least 2 months or so to return to the arena.
The timetable also suggests that James can be back on the court before the start of next season, and he has plenty of time to grind in with his new roster. With the imminent age of 39, the Lakers may be extremely cautious about James' body. Because James still has the ability to drag 40 points with only one intact tendon in the Western Conference Finals, it's hard to imagine what level a healthy James can play.
Beyond that, building a more in-depth cast of characters around James and Thick Brow is an imminent matter for the Lakers. Russell is the biggest and hardest contract issue the Lakers need to discuss right now, and after a great performance in the regular season and the first two rounds, Russell was relegated to the bench in the series against the Nuggets. This immediately raised questions about where he was going.
While playing in the Forest this season, Russell discussed a four-year contract extension with the Timberwolves for more than $100 million. After these erratic playoff performances, it's hard to imagine how many teams will compete for Russell at this price point. Of course, Russell's role for the Lakers is very large, and it is still necessary to believe that Russell's outside shooting ability can open up enough space gap for the Lakers.
Of course, Russell doesn't have the toughness on the defensive end that head coach Hamm wants to see. Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.5 million contract extension before July, but the Lakers will never agree to a maximum salary extension. The best way for the Lakers is to sign a 2-year, $40 million contract extension or go straight to Russell.
For the Lakers, almost only Hachimura and Reeves, who are about to become restricted free agents, have a "no-trade gold medal." Especially when they can sign the highest offer offered by the Lakers instead of those from other teams, that will give the Lakers more room to maneuver in other trade reinforcement plans. It helps them keep another backcourt player who plays well, Schroeder.
The Lakers' ideal scenario is to persuade Schroder to sign a $4.5 million contract that doubles his veteran's base salary this season, and then reward him with a four-year, $58 million contract starting in the '24 season. Of course, if Schroeder wants to seek more lucrative returns elsewhere, I believe not many fans will blame him. After all, Schroder has twice joined the Lakers at a discounted price and has played strong in both seasons.
But what needs to be reminded to the Lakers is that Schroder is definitely an undervalued player in the playoffs and an important factor in the Lakers' success this season. Schroder can fit perfectly into the Lakers' starting lineup at any stage of the season and find his niche therein.
epilogue
Another missing player is Walker, who relied on extreme individual play to help the Lakers win a key game in Game 4 against the Warriors in the second round. He looks set to follow Monk's path by using the Lakers as a springboard and using it to prove himself before being able to secure a bigger salary.