It has been an extremely eventful offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers both on and off the court. On the court, the Lakers signed superstar Luka Doncic to a max contract extension that will keep him with the team through 2028, and addressed their need in the middle by signing Deandre Ayton.
The team also looked to improve its perimeter defense by bringing in former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, and promising young wing Jake LaRavia.
Off the court is where the biggest news took place as the franchise announced that the Buss family was selling the franchise to Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, a massive move that completely changes the fortunes of this team.
But in the eyes of The Athletic’s David Aldridge, the overall offseason improvement for the Lakers was a bit underwhelming as he ranked it as the 24th-best in the league and explained why:
The Buss Family, God love ’em, ran the Lakers like a business, not a plaything/tax write-off. Walter’s largesse won’t be as industry-jarring in the NBA as it is in Major League Baseball, but if Walter’s spending on the Dodgers is any guide, the Lakers will get closer to the industry standard off the court under the new ownership. We’ll see if Ayton can still be a major difference maker after flaming out in Phoenix and Portland. Similarly, Smart isn’t what he was in Boston, but many advanced stats show he’s still one of the better defensive guards in the league – and he’s better defensively than anyone else L.A. can roll out. Losing DFS, though, is a blow.
The loss of Dorian Finney-Smith is undoubtedly a tough one for the Lakers as he was a pivotal part of the team’s success last season. The Lakers hope they have the pieces to replace what he brought to the team, but that is no guarantee and it is also fair to note that what Walter will bring in terms of spending into the franchise won’t have quite the same impact due to MLB not having a salary cap, but it will still be an overall positive.
The Ayton signing is likely the biggest move that will decide whether this was a successful summer for the Lakers as center was their biggest need and he has the potential to make a real impact. If that move works out, the Lakers will be very tough to deal with this season and this offseason will ultimately prove to be a great one for the franchise.
Lakers’ assistant looking forward to Luka Doncic, LeBron James building chemistry in training camp
This Lakers team will go as far as their best players, Luka Doncic and LeBron James will take them and assistant coach Greg St. Jean is looking forward to them having a full training camp together to build chemistry.
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