The Lakers are taking an all-or-nothing mentality into next season with the acquisition of Anthony Davis and numerous veteran free agents, including DeMarcus Cousins. GM Rob Pelinka said there’s only one goal for next season, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “For us, anything short of a championship is not success,” Pelinka said. “So we have to learn from last season, because we didn’t win a championship. And a lot of that went into the construction of the roster this year.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Pelinka notes the benefit of signing players to short-term contracts. While Davis is expected to be a long-term Lakers, only James (player option) is currently on the books beyond 2021, Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times relays. “It gives us the ability to not only contend in the short term with the players we wanted, but also add a superstar or max player in that July of 2021,” Pelinka said.
- Shooting guard Danny Green, another off-season free agent addition, said he waited for Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard to make his decision before he chose his destination, according to another Ganguli story. Green may have stayed in Toronto or gone to Dallas if Leonard hadn’t joined the Clippers. “Those five days seemed like five months. … You think a day, it goes by pretty fast but the way it was happening, the way I was talking to him, you would think it was a week. Like, ‘I got to wait another day, dude? Like, come on!’” Green said.
- The Cousins signing will only work if he’s willing to come off the bench and split the center spot with JaVale McGee, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times opines. That could be a tough for Cousins to accept, given that he was a premier player prior to rupturing his Achilles two seasons ago, Woike notes. Cousins is thrilled to be reunited with former Pelicans teammate Davis, Youngmisuk writes in a separate story. “We realized how much better we made one another and how much we made the game easier for each other. We both appreciate each other’s presence,” Cousins said. “To add LeBron James to the mix, his résumé speaks for itself.”
Technically won’t Davis be a free agent that summer on this current contract. It’s an assumption (although likely) that he’ll be an under-contract Laker that summer.
Davis will be a free agent after this season. Making the trade all the more ignorant for the Lakers. Also, winning a championship? Lakers will once again be lucky to make the playoffs. Cousins isn’t anything more than a limited role player, kuzma has yet to show he can sustain success on a team that s actually trying to win. LeBron playing point guard is laughable at best, especially on defense. Lakers have no elite shooters. Lakers got 2 guys who will sell tickets and make the media propaganda more plausible, but once again, going to be a long year for Lakers fans. Also, exactly how many lakes are in LA?
Bag of D’s for you hater.
lol
Damn why you so salty bro? Having a bad day? I think most people would concede the Lakers among with a few other squads are a contender entering the season. But this is also July. Very few people would’ve taken the Raptors even after the trade for Kawhi only a year ago. So just relax fam
Only ignorant one is you. How someone can spin Lebron and AD as ticket sellers but not good basketball players is comical. AD is not leaving the Lakers in free agency. Where is he gonna go the Knicks? lmao. Warrior fans are going full defense mode now that they are the #3 team in the Pacific divison alone
Was again spoken from the mouth of another hater. The energy that use is wasted in vain!!!
“How many lakes are in LA?” You do realize the team moved here, bozo?
Davis only has 1yr remaining on his current contract and Rich Paul said he’s hitting free agency…
Pelinka’s a brash guy, but he needs to get better at math if he really believes the Lakers can sign another max guy in 2021 with LBJ and AD on the roster.
The Lakers have the potential to be very good this year, even great, but right now there are more questions than answers on their roster. They have two guys who are elite among the elite, but still only 4 players the league generally considers tight rotation players (a good team should have at least 7). That’s a problem.
IMO, Bradley (not Cousins) is the biggest question that needs a positive answer. If Bradley can get back to where he was a few years ago, he’s a quality starter, and a great fit if they start LBJ at the point. The league is betting against it, but we’ll see. C being the position it is today, I think a Cousins / McGee rotation might work well enough, since Kuzma and AD will play most of the 4/5 minutes. It’s on the perimeter that there’s no quality depth (even if Bradley makes a comeback). KCP sometimes shoots well, but usually not, and can’t defend in either case. Aside from LBJ, nobody who’ll play can defend bigger 3’s. Lots of minimum wage (or close) guys. They’re that for a reason. Rondo will always have some stealth value as long as he can walk, but at this stage of his career, he’s a guy you spot. Vogel has his work cut out for him.
Duds is going to stretch the floor well and could be LeBron’s K-Love. KCP is the next JR Smith. Caruso’s got to get time. Dude can ball.
Korver should help. Kuzma on bigger 3s?
Maybe, but he’s a minus defender at his current spot. Maybe Green or AD in spots. Or they’ll get someone. Iggy would be perfect, but it would have to be after a buyout.
You realize for the 2021 scenario LeBron would be taking less than the max that year, right?
I realize it wouldn’t work without him taking a lot less. He has a 41 mm player option. When did he indicate that he might decline and sign for half that-?
Davis can opt out in the Summer of 2020….I’m guessing their assuming he will re-sign with the Lakers
I’m talking to you Dodgedthis the hater!!!
LBJ – Green – Kuzma – AD – DMC… That is a starting five worthy of a championship!
I think the Lakers are contenders big time and they improved the team in a huge way.
That starting lineup you have there looks really slow. I think green will come off the bench and so will cousins.
Avery Bradley well come on and be the player he once was and JaVale McGee’s athleticism running the floor and defense will start.
luz Will not start. A shooter will. Can be AB, Cook, KCP. Lebron will be Point Forward and we will have two Shooting Guards.
Kuz Will not start. A shooter will. Can be AB, Cook, KCP. Lebron will be Point Forward and we will have two Shooting Guards.
Been a huge Lakers fan since 1970. Lakers have made a huge mistake throwing all their eggs in the 2019 basket. Everything they’ve drafted as well as their future top picks are gone. That would be fine except they’re betting the roster they’ve sold their soul for and who has been injury prone remains healthy this season. As bad as I want number 17 I don’t see it happening.