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After securing yet another NBA title in the bubble last year, the LA Lakers' 2020-21 campaign was not as successful. Injuries derailed their playoff hopes and they crashed out in the first-round to the Phoenix Suns.
With a long offseason ahead of them, the Lakers have time to recuperate and some major decisions to make if they want to be title favorites again. The roster currently consists of seven players who are unrestricted free agents, three who are restricted free agents and Montrezl Harrell, who has a player option in his contract.
Therefore, despite a lot of changes to their squad this year, the Lakers were unable to properly bond during the regular season. As a result, the organization may have to go through it all again. In this article, we will outline five players who may not return to the LA Lakers after the summer.
5 players who could part ways with the LA Lakers in the 2021 offseason
#1 Montrezl Harrell
What was meant to be a beneficial trade for both sides soon turned sour in the playoffs when Montrezl Harrell voiced his frustrations in cryptic fashion at his lack of minutes. The former Sixth Man of the Year moved from the LA Clippers to inject energy into the reigning champions' second unit. While he was efficient in the regular season, Frank Vogel turned to his other options in the playoffs.
Harrell has a player option in his two-year contract with the LA Lakers and could opt out of it to test the free agency market. He would certainly garner a lot of interest around the league with teams looking to utilize him in small-ball lineups off the bench for points and rebounds. Few role players have provided the level of consistency the 27-year-old has had over the last three seasons, therefore he would be a great pickup for any title contender.
#2 Kyle Kuzma
With the NBA offseason having started for almost every team, NBA rumours have repeatedly seen Kyle Kuzma's name come up. The Lakers forward continued in his role off the bench this year and helped in providing a spark at times and rebounding the ball consistently.
However, per 36 minutes, it was the 25-year-old's lowest points output of his four-year career so far and he had severe struggles in the playoffs. Kyle Kuzma scored 6.3 points and grabbed 3.8 rebounds in 21 minutes per game in the LA Lakers' series with the Phoenix Suns. He shot the ball at just 29% from the field and 17% from downtown. Both numbers were far below his accuracy in the bubble last year.
The LA Lakers organization may have run out of time in waiting for Kuzma's promise to come to fruition. They will be looking at the trade packages they can put together to bring in another star alongside LeBron James and AD.
#3 Dennis Schroder
After the masterful displays from the playoff Rondo in last year's bubble, LA Lakers fans will have been reluctant to see the veteran leave prior to this season. However, the team needs a long-term option as LeBron James' ball-carrying duties are bound to wane in the coming seasons.
In came the tenacious two-way German Dennis Schroder from OKC. His expectation was to play a prominent role on the biggest stage after playing second fiddle for most of his career. The 27-year-old was fairly consistent during the regular season, averaging 15.4 points and dishing out 5.8 assists.
But the real test for Schroder was determining whether he would be up to the challenge of playing for the LA Lakers in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he struggled in his first postseason with the franchise.
Although he had three games of over 20 points, he also had just eight points and three assists in game four, and zero points and one assist in game five. He shot the ball at 40% from the field and 30% from downtown - both lower than his campaign's statistics. Considering his sky-high asking price to stay with the LA Lakers, there remains huge doubt over Schroder's future in California.
#4 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond will be one of the most coveted free agents this summer as a serial rebounder. He is also a center who has averaged 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks throughout his career. Drummond was unable to have the consistent effect desired after being picked up by the LA Lakers halfway through the season due to regaining match fitness and acclimating himself to the roster.
Although it would make sense for the Lakers to run it back and give Drummond a full season alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the franchise may be reluctant to offer him the kind of contract he had prior to his move to the west. The 27-year-old was previously earning almost $28m and the organization has a lot of decisions to make this summer on which players they want to bring back. Drummond, therefore, may just miss out.
#5 Wesley Matthews
As mentioned previously, the LA Lakers have a plethora of decisions to make this summer, including the future of Wesley Matthews. The veteran guard's one-year stint in purple and gold was interrupted by injury, as he missed 14 regular-season games and had one of the lowest offensive ratings of his career.
Averaging over 19 minutes per game, Matthews was only able to put up 4.8 points and 0.9 assists per game. He is an experienced head and a valued defender, but his overall output for the team could be considered expendable as the Lakers attempt to rebuild their roster to compete next year.
Guess the Lakers players!
