The Los Angeles Lakers got off to an outstanding start this season, but have struggled recently dropping their last seven games. Injuries have hurt the team and defense remains a problem, but overall General Manager Mitch Kupchak believes the Lakers are in a much better place than they were last season.
A lot of this has to do with the young talent present on this team. D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram are all outstanding players with a lot of potential, but none are guaranteed to be a star. They could potentially help bring one in, however, via a trade.
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The Lakers aren’t necessarily looking to make a deal, however, as Kupchak told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report that the Lakers will do their due diligence, but he would be fine keeping the team the way it is:
“We’re fun to watch. We’re very competitive. We love our coaching staff. We love our young players. We’re going to have to be a little patient,” Kupchak said.
“We’re going to have to do our job which is to look at opportunities that may come up in the next month or two. And if there are none, which is fine with me, because I like the young guys on the team, then during the offseason we’ll have to look at opportunities.”
Kupchak understands what he has on this roster. The team is young, and players like Ingram and Russell could eventually turn into the superstars the Lakers need which is why he is stressing patience.
Of course, that doesn’t mean Kupchak can’t field calls about potential deals. If the right move comes up and the Lakers can truly improve Kupchak would have to consider it.
Which players become available and whether or not the Lakers could obtain him remains to be seen. DeMarcus Cousins has been linked to the Lakers for years, but it sounds as if he doesn’t plan on moving anywhere. Aside from him, players like John Wall or Paul George could also become available if their teams continue to struggle.