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The Los Angeles Lakers can create the perfect starting lineup if they make two smart moves this summer.
Image credit: Fadeaway World
The Los Angeles Lakers are definitely better than they were last year, though that’s not an exaggeration. As far as their lofty expectations were concerned, the 2021-22 NBA season was a total disaster, despite having the most impressive trio ever in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook. One of the group, but their record fell to 33-49. Their championship aspirations were dashed once the All-Star break came, as they lacked defensive grit and Russell Westbrook wasn’t their answer at point guard.
Eventually, the Lakers found a way to trade Russell Westbrook and somehow approached the . 500 mark, with new players like D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt playing a big role after the trade deadline. Unfortunately, LeBron James’ furious run to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring record took its toll on the Kings, as he is currently out of injury for at least a few more weeks.
The Lakers are now 31-34, and even if they can get some wins and make the playoffs (playoffs), the Lakers are unlikely to beat the Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and The Los Angeles Clippers are both better teams. Therefore, from the perspective of the Lakers, the season may end again.
With luck, the Lakers may have a chance to right the wrongs of all past seasons, build an amazing starting lineup, and become a superteam. In fact, next year Los Angeles could be busy putting together one of the most impressive starting lineups in modern NBA history. Their main targets will be former NBA champions Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green. If the Lakers play their cards right, here’s how they can add two prestigious names to their core of LeBron James and Anthony Davis and claim five championships.
The Lakers Salary Cap Situation for the 2023-24 NBA Season
The Los Angeles Lakers owe more than $174 million to players, the sixth-highest amount in the league. Obviously, most of the money has been spent on their dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LeBron and Davis are untouchables and will be the guiding force of the team. Fortunately for the Lakers, only Mo Bamba, Jared Vanderbilt, Davin Reed and Max Christie will be in cap space with those two stars in 2024. That means the Lakers can pick and choose who they will keep in 2024, including players like Lonnie Walker and Dennis Schroder, who will be a priority.
With a lot of money, the Lakers have the ability to attract two high-profile stars in Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green. But even if they had enough money to pull off two big moves, it would take Rob Peinka’s smart decisions and it could have that outcome.
Draymond Green joins LeBron James and Anthony Davis
Image credit: Fadeaway World
As things stand, the Lakers will struggle financially to add two high-profile players to their roster. But several factors can make this possible. First, the cap could increase to $134 million next year, meaning the Los Angeles Lakers could legally add Kyrie Irving and Draymond Green to a roster they already have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. That means they’ll have roughly $42 million in cap space to make two high-profile signings. Kyrie Irving wanted a maximum salary contract, but in order to join the Lakers and Draymond’s side, he had to cut his salary.
Draymond Green first needs to take a pay cut and accept that he’s no longer an All-Star in terms of impact or production. His impact will work on the defensive end, but the pay cut is necessary because he’s almost irrelevant in terms of scoring. It’s also important to look at the side of the Golden State Warriors as they re-sign Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins. Poole signed a four-year, $123 million extension, while Wiggins received a four-year, $109 million extension. With these moves, the Warriors have locked down their priority players, and Draymond might be an oddball, especially after the drama in which he beat Jordan Poole earlier this season.
Green can accept a salary cut and accept a 2-3 year contract with the Lakers. Draymond appears to be the player the Lakers want, as Anthony Davis, who has been a direct extension of LeBron James, will embrace the partnership. Meanwhile, Green is close friends with LeBron and will realize they’ll be great partners in terms of two-way play and championship experience. By cutting salary, the Lakers can create space for Draymond Green to accept a reasonable salary reduction and help him win his fifth NBA championship.
Lakers sign Kyrie Irving in blockbuster deal
Image credit: Fadeaway World
The Lakers could look forward to happier times, as they have arguably one of the best two-way duos in the league, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. There is no doubt that Los Angeles would be better off if Kyrie Irving started with James and Davis. Kyrie, despite his drama, is a great offensive player. He averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 49.2 percent shooting from the field, 38.1 percent from three-point range and 89.1 percent from the free throw line.
Now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers missed out on acquiring Kyrie this season. But Kyrie’s comments about his future in Dallas have raised eyebrows, which means the Lakers have hope of bringing Kyrie and LeBron together. Remember, Kyrie and LeBron proved devastating to the Golden State Warriors in 2016, beating the Outlaws in seven grueling games. Irving will become a free agent next season. If he does not want to renew his contract with the Mavericks, he can negotiate with the Lakers.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: Kyrie Irving doesn’t quite fit with Luka Doncic. Since joining the Mavericks, Kyrie is 4-5 in nine games. His numbers in Dallas have been solid (27.0 points per game, 6.8 assists, 52.1 percent shooting from the field, 42.0 percent from 3-point range, 92.7 percent from the free-throw line. Irving is a great offensive player who can deliver the numbers , but Luka Doncic as the primary ball handler isn’t exactly needed. When Luka has full control of the ball, he excels at an elite level, similar to James Harden on the Houston Rockets back in the day or LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers today.
Irving may realize that staying in Dallas isn’t the best option for his championship aspirations, even if they offer him a max contract. The Lakers are willing to offer Kyrie a maximum salary contract, but must first negotiate an agreement with the Mavericks. That’s the only way Kyrie can wear the purple and gold. A potential trade package would include Malik Beasley, Rui Hachimura and Mo Bamba, as well as a possible 2029 first-round pick.
Dallas may be forced to accept the deal, or Irving will leave for free. The superstar player is in charge because they can let the team know if they will sign long-term, and Dallas has no choice but to send him to Los Angeles.
2023-24 starting lineup: A championship core in the making
Starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Lonnie Walker IV, LeBron James, Draymond Green, Anthony Davis
After building a solid Big Four, the Lakers are back to winning it all. Every star has won a championship, LeBron James is still the best leader in the NBA, and will continue to be 39 years old. Watching the Kings play, it is very likely that he will continue to dominate the scoring list and affect the game. His playmaking ability has reached superstar levels.
Anthony Davis looked great during the preseason of the 2022-23 season, and as his body and drive to dominate the court continue to build, he’ll only continue to feel better. Besides Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis claims to be the most talented big man in the NBA. No player can shoot, defend, block shots and come up with a scoring motion with the athleticism that Davis can. Remember, he’s a guard on a center.
Kyrie Irving remains one of the best scorers at the point guard position and will be more motivated to team up with his older brother LeBron James again. LeBron and Kyrie dominated the scoring charts together in the 2016 Finals, and there’s little doubt that the Kings were at their best among the polarizing guards. Irving is also a floor-spacing player, something both LeBron and Davis need. In the end, Draymond Green is an impact player even at his age. In 2024, he’ll be less of an offensive threat than he is now, but he’ll make up for it with top-notch defense, basketball IQ and championship experience. Green is a unique player, invaluable to a championship team, and he could fill that position with the Lakers in 2024.
On top of that, both Irving and Green have had extremely polarizing seasons in the way they’ve handled off-court antics. Irving basically killed the Brooklyn Nets’ chances last year by refusing to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Green, to his credit, won the NBA championship, but washed out any love he might have had by running into his teammates in practice. Golden State clearly values Jordan Poole more, which means Draymond is expendable. The extensions offered for Poole and Wiggins raise further doubts about whether the team wants to keep Green long-term.
Lonnie Walker IV is likely to return to the starting lineup on a mid-level deal, as he is competitive defensively and, based on this season’s stats, can play at a decent level (37.1% 3 -PT FG) hits an outside shot. The Lakers need athleticism on the wing, and Walker can bring that as the primary perimeter defender, since Kyrie and James will be limited in that regard.
By acquiring two Hall of Famers and pairing them with LeBron and Davis, the Lakers got back into the mix. Los Angeles will also be able to fill out the rest of the roster with veteran contracts, such as they did with Dennis Schroder this season ($2,641,682). If Los Angeles can bring back Schroder, he’s a very capable playmaker and scorer off the bench. Los Angeles can also focus on veterans and other free agents who want to win championship rings, Otto Porter Jr., Joe Harris, Gary Harris, Doug McDermott, Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington, Grayson Allen and Monte Morris are some role players who could accept mid-level contracts or veteran minimum contracts.
In short, both Irving and Green want to prove to the rest of the league that they’re ready to fight, and Los Angeles could be a favorite in the 2024 Western Conference with their clever roster tweaks. No team other than the Phoenix Suns can bring that kind of star power to the court, meaning a Western Conference finals berth is all but guaranteed.
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