The Los Angeles Lakers have already been busy this offseason, searching for a new head coach before hiring Darvin Ham for the position. Now, a serious roster overhaul is awaiting L.A. to bounce back from a nightmare 2021-22 campaign.
Vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka admitted last year’s roster “did not work,” before promising to bring “championship-level basketball” back to L.A. To do so, the Lakers need a near-perfect summer, as they have to strengthen the roster while having very little trade capital to offer — and almost no cap space available — to acquire new players.
It’s still unclear who might be coming back to L.A. next year, as half of last season’s roster was signed to one-year minimum deals. Among them was Avery Bradley, who rejuvenated his career after reuniting with the Lakers the day before the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Purple and Gold might face competition should they want to re-sign Bradley. According to Right Down Euclid’s Evan Dammarell, the guard has been on the Cleveland Cavaliers’ radar:
According to sources, that’s a realistic path where Ricky Rubio could reunite with Cleveland. If not there, names worth watching include Avery Bradley, Raul Neto, and Elfrid Payton as well. Clearly, there are plenty of options in free agency this year for Cleveland – they just have to get creative with it.
Bradley averaged 6.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists, shooting 42.3% from the field and 39% from downtown in 2021-22. He made 45 starts in 62 games, enjoying former head coach Frank Vogel’s trust even though advanced stats suggested the 31-year-old wasn’t heaving a great season.
Bradley unsure of his future
After the 2021-22 season ended, Bradley said he was unsure what lies ahead of him. “I don’t know. Everything is in God’s hands,” Bradley said regarding his future with the Lakers and in the NBA.
“I’m following whatever he wants me to do because I’m not in control, I can’t control whether I’m gonna be here or anywhere else so I’m just praying about it and we’ll see. I’m gonna follow whatever I’m supposed to do.”
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