The Los Angeles Lakers are getting healthy amid a strong start to the season. LeBron James hasn’t played much with the team, but it looks like he’s going to embrace more of a role as a distributor.
Between Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and James, the Lakers have three players who can effectively play point guard. That’s not to mention that Gabe Vincent and Marcus Smart can also lineup at the position.
The Lakers roster isn’t perfect. They do have needs that they should look to address at the trade, but according to NBA insider Jovan Buha, the team has no interest in looking at point guards.
“No,” Buha said when asked if the Lakers were looking for a point guard.
Buha believes that the Lakers have more than enough ball-handling on the roster.
“To my knowledge, no,” Buha added. “You have enough ball handling with Luka, Austin and LeBron. … I think that’s one of the last areas the Lakers really need.”
The Lakers’ shooting hasn’t been great this season, so it might not be the worst idea to add a sharpshooting guard, but they still have other needs.
What Other Positions Could Lakers Focus On?
The Lakers might already have enough pieces to make some noise in the Western Conference playoffs, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are so good that there’s little room for error.
The Lakers can’t have any glaring holes on their roster if they want to win the West. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton broke down what the team still needs.
“Amusingly, LeBron James’ return might help the Lakers most in terms of his shooting,” Pelton wrote. “With stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves both slumping beyond the arc (31.7 % and 32.6%, respectively, well below their career marks), the Lakers are 23rd in 3-point percentage. More troubling for a team trying to give Doncic space to operate, they’re 27th in attempts beyond the arc.
“Getting James back in the lineup Tuesday should help, given he has shot 39% from 3 the past two seasons. And Dalton Knecht and Jake LaRavia should improve on their 32.6% and 34.0% shooting, respectively. Still, the Lakers could stand to upgrade on the minutes they’re giving to defensive specialists Marcus Smart and Jarred Vanderbilt, who are both under 30% from beyond the arc. An ace shooter who can hold his own defensively would help the Lakers contend this season.”
Lakers Don’t Have Much to Work With
The Lakers aren’t loaded with assets this season, but they are set up well for next year. ESPN’s Bobby Marks broke down why it might be difficult to pull off any big moves this season.
“How the Lakers prioritize cap flexibility next offseason could play a role in how active they are in trade talks,” Marks Wrote. “With over $100 million in expiring contracts (James, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Maxi Kleber), the Lakers could have nearly $50 million in cap space. Because they are hard capped at the first apron, Los Angeles cannot take back more than $1 million in additional salary. The Doncic and Dorian Finney-Smith trades left Los Angeles with one tradeable first-rounder (in either 2031 or 2032) and one second in the next seven years. They do have five years of first-round swaps (2026, 2028, 2030, 2031 and 2032).”
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