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The LA Lakers have dominated the news lately due to their pursuit of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
Meanwhile, they continue to explore other options. The team made some tactical signings in free agency. The Lakers opted to shore up their perimeter defense and add young athletic bigs to their roster.
Last season, they struggled to stay efficient on that end of the floor, which was one of their biggest strengths in previous campaigns.
Lakers legend Magic Johnson approved those signings, showing appreciation via his latest tweet.
Darvin Ham continues to inject positivity into the LA Lakers' new era under his leadership. In his most recent interview, the former Bucks assistant praised Russell Westbrook, maintaining that the former MVP has gotten counted out prematurely.
Here's the latest buzz surrounding the LA Lakers as of July 8th, 2022.
Magic Johnson impressed with LA Lakers' free agency signings
The LA Lakers seem adamant about making their roster young this summer. They were the oldest team in the league last campaign, with barely a handful of players aged 30 or younger. This time around, neither of their free agency signings is 30 or older.
The Lakers went in with a clear plan to acquire young and athletic 3-and-D players. They managed to sign players like Lonnie Walker IV, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Troy Brown Jr. Meanwhile, the Purple and Golds decided to let free agent Dwight Howard walk, replacing his services with former players Damion Jones and Thomas Bryant.
Lakers great Magic Johnson shared his opinion on the LA Lakers' free agency additions on Twitter, saying:
"I love Lonnie Walker because he’s big, strong and athletic. The @Lakers also made some great additions to the roster with Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones!"
"With these free agent signings, the @Lakers have become younger and more athletic! I’m excited about the signing of Thomas Bryant. With his ability to shoot the 3, he will create more space for LeBron and AD."
Darvin Ham believes Russell Westbrook has been counted out prematurely
Russell Westbrook had a difficult debut season with the LA Lakers. His underwhelming performances are considered the reason behind the Lakers' not qualifying for the playoffs.
Westbrook averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. He didn't adapt well to his role as the third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis, struggling to play off the ball.
Many believe Westbrook is no longer an impact player. His stubbornness disallows him from being a viable option for a contending team.
However, new coach Darvin Ham doesn't believe so. Ham plans to turn Westbrook into a defensive beast and put him in different situations offensively to increase his impact.
During a recent interview with Marc J Spears, Ham said that the former MVP has been 'counted out prematurely.' Here's what Ham said:
"Counted out prematurely. Counted out. Prematurely. I’ve had some great interactions with Russ, in person, over dinner, over the phone, over text messages. I love Russell Westbrook, man. Just his mentality, his approach. Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he’s done in the league to get hated on."
Zach Lowe claims LA Lakers need Kyrie Irving to win the championship
The LA Lakers find themselves in a surprising position this offseason. After possibly finding little to no value in a Russell Westbrook trade, they could now end up signing Kyrie Irving in return for the former OKC Thunder guard.
Westbrook and LeBron James have an awkward fit on the court. The two have identical roles as facilitators, and both like to get downhill more often. However, Irving appears to be a great fit alongside LeBron. The two wereeffective when playing together before. They led the Cavs to three straight NBA Finals appearances, winning once.
ESPN's Zach Lowe believes that the Lakers won't win the title in their current shape and need to add Kyrie Irving to their roster to change that.
