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Although the LA Lakers have remained active trying to upgrade the roster this offseason after a disastrous 33-49 season, still more may need to be done.
As general manager Rob Pelinka continues to search for additional upgrades, it remains to be seen what direction the team will go in. On "The Pat McAfee Show," NBA insider Shams Charania said:
"The Lakers are open to anything that will make their team better. ... I don't think that they're done necessarily. I think they're still going to try to get this team better. But, yes, Kyrie Irving to the Lakers, for now, is not a thing."
Charania also name-dropped two veterans who could be on the Lakers' wish list:
"I would keep an eye on Patrick Beverley, Bojan Bogdanovic in Utah."
The Lakers are hoping to bounce back after their high expectations last season dissolved into a difficult run that ended without a playoff appearance. The disappointment birthed the harsh reality that change was needed.
One major change was the hiring of coach Darvin Ham. Last week's two-year extension for forward LeBron James also helped calm any uncertainty. The Lakers have the talent to be a playoff team, if not a title contender. But the team has struggled to stay healthy, and its trade for Russell Westbrook misfired.
LA Lakers look to bounce back in 2022-23
The Lakers don't want a repeat of last year's performance. To that end, the front office may still have to make some moves to upgrade the depth of the roster.
While the Lakers do have superstar talents like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the dynamic duo has struggled to stay on the court. James has played 121 of 154 games in the regular season in the past two seasons, while Davis has played only 76 games in that span.
With veteran guard Russell Westbrook also seeing a steep decline in his play last year, their roster still has plenty of concerns. General manager Rob Pelinka is reportedly working the phones to find any moves.
Although star point guard Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets has often been connected to the Lakers in trade rumors, it seems unlikely that a trade will happen. Irving looked like he'd be on the move if Kevin Durant's trade request happened. But that steam seems to have calmed down since Durant announced he would return to the team on Tuesday.
