The Los Angeles Lakers failed in their original pursuit of acquiring one of the big names in free agency. LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, and Greg Monroe all chose to go places other than join the Lakers, forcing the team to move on to other plans.
— Have you seen the ‘Bleed Purple and Gold’ phone case? —
The Lakers recovered pretty well all things considered, with the trade for center Roy Hibbert being the major move. General manager Mitch Kupchak spoke about missing out on the top targets, saying it wasn’t demoralizing according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
Mitch Kupchak on Lakers missing out on Aldridge, Monroe & Jordan: "It wasn't demoralizing. It's a part of doing business."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 10, 2015
Kupchak also added that the roster plays a large role in a team’s ability to bring in players via Medina:
Mitch on missing out on free agents: "Your roster has a lot to do with your ability to recruit free agents that are established."
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) July 10, 2015
The Lakers ability to quickly move on from their failure and salvage this summer was pretty impressive. In addition to Hibbert, the team signed guard Lou Williams and forward Brandon Bass, giving the team a good mix of proven veterans and exciting young talent.
The front office came under a lot of fire after supposed failed meetings with Aldridge and Jordan. Some wondered if the front office was out of touch and needed to undergo changes in order for the Lakers to return to glory. While that may be the case, the Lakers moving on to other plans showed how competent the front office can be.
Things didn’t go as planned for the Lakers this summer, but the team looks intriguing as the roster begins to take shape. Hopefully the Lakers finally begin to move back towards playoff contention after what looks like a good summer.
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