The Rich Get Richer

The Los Angeles Lakers just won the 2020 NBA championship only less than a couple of months ago, led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.  It is now the offseason and they seem to have made some moves to potentially have a better team than they had last year.  In the process, they have lost some players that played important roles in the 2019-2020 season, but they expect their new acquisitions to more than make up for their losses.

The first big move the Lakers made this offseason was a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for point guard Dennis Schröder.  Schröder was runner up for the 6th Man of The Year Award for the 2019-2020 season as he was a terrific player for the Thunder coming off the bench behind star point guard, Chris Paul.  This past season he averaged 18.9 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 3.6 RPG.  Schröder is 27 years old and could be the starting point guard for LA this year.

After the trade for Schröder, point guard Rajon Rondo left the Lakers for the Atlanta Hawks.  Rondo played a key role in the Lakers championship run so he will certainly be missed, but most expect the younger, more athletic, Schröder to fill his role nicely.  He’s a very good playmaker, scorer, and a good defender and will be a good addition to the team.

In the Schröder trade, the Lakers traded away shooting guard Danny Green.  Green is known for being a great shooter and above-average defender although many believe he underachieved in the 2020 playoffs.  In order to fill his role, the Lakers signed free agent Wesley Matthews.  Matthews is another veteran known for his shooting so he should fill Green’s role well.

The Lakers also signed two free-agent big men in Montrezl Harrell and Marc Gasol.  These two bigs are great defensive players who will be great to have in the playoffs.  Harrell won the 6th Man of The Year Award for the 2019-2020 season and Marc Gasol played a key role in the Toronto Raptors championship run in 2019.  In acquiring these two bigs the Lakers also lost two bigs, Dwight Howard and Javale McGee, who were great for the Lakers last season.  Although Howard and McGee will be missed, many would argue that Harrell and Gasol are upgrades at this position.

It has been an exciting offseason and the 2020-2021 season looks to be very competitive.  The Lakers have made some great moves to keep their team contending and increase their chances of getting another championship.  They have lost a few key veterans, but it looks like they have only upgraded in those positions and they will be favorites for the NBA title in 2021.