The Los Angeles Lakers had the most pressure heading for the offseason due to the need to appease franchise superstar Luka Doncic. Free agents like Austin Reaves and LeBron James also put a lot of stress on General Manager Rob Pelinka to figure out which names could help the roster contend. Los Angeles decided to retain Reaves on a huge contract extension and let LeBron leave upon both realizing they needed a change.
Walker Kessler was the top name added on the free agent market via a sign and trade. NBA pundit Iztok Franko revealed that Doncic only made his voice heard for the Kessler move:
“If Kessler was the franchise center Doncic wanted so badly, and from the people I’ve spoken to I can confirm he pushed hard for this move, then perhaps that was simply the cost of doing business. If Kessler becomes the long-term defensive anchor the Lakers believe he can be, and this core grows into a perennial contender, two future first-round picks and a pair of swaps may ultimately prove to be a reasonable price to pay.”
Doncic could see that Kessler was the only game changer center on the market right now. Kessler can at least provide some rim protection for the team when lackluster defenders like Doncic and Reaves allow scorers to get past them.
Walker Kessler Made Up For Other Flaws
The other major free agent acquisitions made by the team focused on scorers like Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton joining the roster. That made it more pivotal to ensure that the Lakers added a defensive anchor at the center position since the other names can’t dominate from the defensive side.
Kessler has dealt with some injuries to make him a risk on the health side, but Doncic’s request made him worth the risk. The Utah Jazz requested two draft picks from the Lakers to send him there and the price was met to ensure that the franchise player was content.
Fans are hoping the team can add a wing player to complete the offseason as the one position they’ve failed to upgrade. Losing both LeBron and Rui Hachimura requires adding Jonathan Kuminga or another noteworthy forward to make up a coherent roster.
Lakers Now Fully Revolve Around Luka Doncic
The timing of Doncic getting traded from the Dallas Mavericks came when the Lakers were still considered LeBron’s team. Dallas sending Los Angeles a dream offer for Anthony Davis and Max Christie caused the entire timeline changing thanks to a current top five NBA player in his prime becoming the new face of the franchise.
This offseason was treated as the first chance to build a roster that betters fit around Doncic. Expect all future moves to be made with the intent of what Doncic wants and based on personnel that would benefit from playing with his skill set.
A new era has started and will de defend based on how far they can contend over the next few seasons. Pelinka’s job hangs on being able to have realistic chances of winning an NBA Championship while Doncic is on the roster.
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